The Hughes Fire has now burned 8,096 acres in Los Angeles and Ventura counties since igniting late Wednesday morning near Castaic Lake, according to Cal Fire. More than 24,00 people have been ordered to evacuate due to the Hughes Fire. Another 30,000 people are in evacuation warning zones.

The Hughes fire seen from Magic Mountain has started north of Castaic and has exploded to more than 5,000 acres in under two hours on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, in Castaic, California. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times/TNS) (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

At least 28 people are believed to be dead and more than a dozen others remain unaccounted for as multiple wildfires rage across Southern California.

The fire threat remains critical in Southern California, where thousands of residents were under evacuation orders Wednesday as fire crews battled the out-of-control Hughes Fire near Castaic, a suburb in the foothills and mountains of northern Los Angeles County.

A new wildfire that broke out north of Los Angeles rapidly spread to more than 32 square kilometres, fuelled by strong winds and dry brush, forcing mandatory evacuation orders for more than 19 000 people.

Exhausted firefighters battling deadly infernos for weeks are now grappling with more wildfires torching Southern California – including one that’s threatening 14,000 structures.

On Monday, the California Department of Forestry and Fire ... Coast Highway amid a powerful windstorm on January 8, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. California homeowners have a new protection ...

It’s frustrating at every level of government,” said Democratic state Senator Henry Stern, who was part of a group of lawmakers who authored the legislation. “I feel like a failure on it, being quite frank.

A fire north of a jail complex in Castaic has triggered evacuations in Los Angeles County, even as Southern California hopes for some rain to help with firefighting efforts.

The Hughes fire started off of Lake Hughes Road just before 11 a.m. and quickly prompted evacuations orders in and around Lake Castaic, extending toward Interstate 5 on the west and south of Sanberg to the north. More than 19,000 people were ordered to evacuate and another 14,000 people were in areas where evacuation warnings were issued.

With high winds driving the flames, a fast-moving wildfire exploded to more than 5,000 acres near the Los Angeles County community of Castaic Wednesday — prompting mandatory evacuations and road closures as it continued to spread.