Firefighters made progress on the more than 10,000-acre Hughes Fire Friday, which sent thousands fleeing after sparking near the Los Angeles County community of Castaic a day earlier.
The Hughes fire, which broke out north of Santa Clarita on Wednesday, has scorched more than 10,000 acres.
The Hughes Fire sent thick grey smoke billowing over homes in Santa Clarita, California. At least 31,000 residents were ordered to evacuate due to the rapid spread of the blaze on Wednesday afternoon,
The Hughes Fire has spread over 8,096 acres after starting just before lunchtime in Los Angeles County's Castaic Lake area on Wednesday.
Firefighters continue to battle fires across Southern California as the area prepares for a presidential visit Friday and rain in the weekend forecast.
The Hughes fire started off Lake Hughes Road just before 11 a.m. and quickly prompted evacuations orders in and around Castaic Lake, which by afternoon extended toward Ventura County to the west and near Sandberg to the north. More than 31,000 people were ordered to evacuate and another 20,000 were in areas where evacuation warnings were issued.
Thursday, 11:27 p.m. PSTThe National Weather Service forecasted a low pressure system “likely” to bring much needed rain to Southern California ... north of Santa Clarita, has burned about ...
After an epic dry streak, the first real rain of winter fell in Southern California, bringing elevated risk of floods and landslides to areas recently burned by wildfires.
Over 1,100 firefighters were “strategically pre-positioned” across Southern California to address "ongoing critical fire weather," Cal Fire said.
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.
As the cleanup phase of recovery begins after the devastating fires in L.A. County, displaced residents grapple with new uncertainty surrounding the cost and timeline for rebuilding.
At least 29 people are believed to be dead and more than a dozen others remain unaccounted for as multiple wildfires rage across Southern California.