A brush fire erupted amid powerful winds Wednesday afternoon in the Castaic area, quickly spreading to more than 3,400 acres as it burned out of control near the 5 Freeway, officials said. Fire crews from Los Angeles County and the Angeles National Forest responded to the so-called Hughes Fire after it broke out about 11 a.

The Palisades and Eaton wildfires also continue burning in the Los Angeles area, leaving parts of Southern California with devastating fire damage.

A fast-moving brush fire raced across thousands of acres of thick vegetation near Castaic Lake Wednesday, forcing mandatory evacuations in the lake area and into the heart of Castaic, with warnings stretching toward Santa Clarita and reaching the Ventura County line.

The Hughes Fire near Castaic, north of Los Angeles, was 24% contained on Thursday afternoon, according to Cal Fire.

The Hughes Fire was first reported shortly after 10:30 a.m. along Lake Hughes Road, near Castaic Lake and the 5 Freeway, according to Cal Fire.

The Hughes Fire has spread over 8,096 acres after starting just before lunchtime in Los Angeles County's Castaic Lake area on Wednesday.

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.

Coverage of when the Hughes fire exploded north of Castaic, the areas under evacuation orders and an extended red flag warning.

Fire crews are battling a swiftly growing blaze dubbed the Hughes Fire burning near Interstate 5 in Castaic, in the northern part of Los Angeles County.

Much of Southern California is expected to get doused with desperately needed rainfall this weekend – but this could unleash new hazards.

The Hughes Fire, near the Castaic Lake area, spread to more than 10,000 acres as the smaller Sepulveda Fire broke out along Interstate 405.