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

The Hughes Fire in Castaic area has burned more than 9,400 acres in just hours. While Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone called it a "difficult fire," he said that crews are "getting the upper hand on containing the blaze."

Thousands of firefighters have been battling wildfires across 45 square miles of densely populated Los Angeles County. The two largest fires, the Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades and the Eaton Fire near Pasadena, remain active. One of the latest, the Hughes Fire in the Castaic area, has prompted evacuation orders for tens of thousands of people.

The blaze was reported just after 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22 in the area of Lake Hughes Road near the 5 Freeway, according to Cal Fire.

As critical fire weather continues to strike in Southern California, crews are also tasked with preparing for a storm expected this weekend that could trigger mudslides in burn scar areas.

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

Original: A brush fire erupted in Castaic, sending smoke over the Santa Clarita Valley. Around 10:40 a.m. Wednesday, first responders received reports of a brush fire on Lake Hughes Road north of Castaic Lake, according to officials. The fire is currently at 50+ acres. Smoke from the fire is visible throughout Santa Clarita.

Santa Clarita, the area affected by the Hughes Fire, is a densely populated community predominantly comprising workers and middle-class families.

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.

As the Hughes Fire continues to blaze near Castaic Lake, residents of Castaic and Santa Clarita find themselves grappling with deteriorating air quality.  The South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) has issued multiple advisories,

Tens of thousands of residents remain under evacuation orders and warnings Thursday morning as firefighters continue to battle for containment on the Hughes Fire that erupted near Castaic. The blaze was reported around 11 a.