The Hughes fire has burned through 3,407 acres since it started late Wednesday morning, according to local officials.

The Hughes Fire that started on Wednesday has burned through over 5,000 acres in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties on Wednesday.

A wildfire erupted near Castaic Lake Wednesday, sending plumes of smoke into neighboring Ventura County areas. Here's what to know.

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.

Wednesday, 3:49 p.m. PST The Hughes Fire increased to 8,096 acres, spreading northeast and triggering 12 evacuation warnings and 10 evacuation orders for adjacent areas. Wednesday, 1:17 p.m. PST The Hughes Fire spread to 5,054 acres in a largely mountainous area.

The Auto Fire has burned nearly 61 acres in Ventura, California Monday night and was at 47% containment Tuesday afternoon.

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)

Ventura County joins LA County on the list of areas that has mandatory evacuation orders in place due to wildfires.

Two new wildfires started in Southern California Tuesday night and into Wednesday, as gusty Santa Ana winds continue to plague the state this week.

The unincorporated community of Castaic is about 15 miles northwest of the city of Santa Clarita and borders the Angeles National Forest. Approximately 31,000 residents in the area are under evacuation orders, while 23,000 are under evacuation warnings, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna.

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.