Amid an extended red flag warning, the Hughes fire exploded north of Castaic on Wednesday and quickly grew to more than 9,400 acres. About 31,000 people in areas surrounding the fire were under evacuation orders.

Firefighters in Southern California conducted another fierce wildfire fight on Wednesday and into Thursday morning. Crews raced to contain the massive Hughes Fire in Los Angeles County while another blaze broke out near a busy freeway,

More than 50,000 people are under evacuation orders as Hughes fire sweeps through rugged mountains north of Los Angeles. The Hughes Fire has burned over 10,000 acres in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties since it started late Wednesday morning,

As the sun began to set over Castaic Lake on Wednesday, the hills to the north and east were engulfed in flames, casting an eerie orange glow across the valley below.

A hard-charging brush fire erupted in northern Los Angeles County on Wednesday, hustling through 9,400 acres of terrain so far, aided by heavy, dry brush and pushed by gusting Santa Ana winds, Cal Fire officials said.