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.

Nearly 20,000 people were ordered to flee an area north of Los Angeles on Wednesday after a fast-moving wildfire exploded, growing to more than 5,000 acres in a few hours, officials said.

Following arrests of alleged firefighter impersonators, officials say two more people have been taken into custody for using fake passes to unlawfully enter a fire evacuation zone.

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.

Offramps along Interstate 5, a major north-south artery, were closed as flames raced along hilltops and down into rugged canyons.

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)

All lanes of the I-5 Freeway through the Grapevine will be closed for an unknown duration, according to the California Highway Patrol.

(CNN) — Thousands of Southern California residents were under evacuation orders Wednesday as fire crews battled the out-of-control Hughes Fire near the town of Castaic, a suburb in the foothills and mountains of northern Los Angeles County.

A new fast-moving wildfire prompted evacuation orders in the north of Los Angeles, California, raising fears among authorities who are already struggling to take control of the fires in the south

A fast-growing Southern California wildfire, dubbed the Hughes Fire, crossed parts of Interstate 5 with heavy smoke as it exploded to nearly 8,100 acres in just a few hours on Wednesday. California Highway Patrol shut down the freeway through the Grapevine in both directions on Wednesday afternoon due to the fire,

The California Highway Patrol says that the 106 new officers have completed 26 weeks of rigorous and comprehensive training in order to prepare them for the challenges of law enforcement,