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

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.

Several counties in Southern California faced "critical" fire risks this week, according to an AccuWeather forecast.

In his first days in office, President Donald Trump signed executive orders that sent many federal employees reeling: looming layoffs, a freeze on federal hiring and and new back-to-office expectations for many remote workers.

Fueled by powerful winds and dry conditions, a series of ferocious wildfires erupted the second week of January and roared across the Los Angeles area.

Projected rainfall in Southern California could bring much-needed relief to crews battling deadly wildfires and also fears for potential mudslides.

Officials ordered evacuations in the area surrounding the Hughes Fire on Wednesday morning, located near Castaic Lake in Los Angeles County.

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

A second day of windy and dry conditions is in store for Southern California. Winds have picked up and are expected to continue through Tuesday morning, raising the risk of new wildfires sparking.

As President Donald Trump returned to office, many congressional Republicans and conservative pundits have mused about possibly forcing California leaders to change state policies to receive federal disaster money. The state is still grappling with deadly wildfires that have killed at least 28 people and destroyed nearly 15,800 structures.

Twenty-seven people have died across the Los Angeles area. Officials have said the true death toll isn’t known as the fires continue to burn.

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.