Firefighters are battling a new brush fire that erupted along the 405 Freeway in Seal Beach, as they also race to contain the Hughes Fire near Castaic Lake.

The Hughes Fire near Castaic, California, has burned over 5,000 acres, prompting evacuations and school closures.

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.

As of Wednesday night, nearly 31,000 people are under evacuation orders with another 23-thousand under evacuation warnings.That fire, hitting close to home for

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 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."

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.

Powerful winds and bone-dry conditions could pose a challenge to firefighters battling new wildfires in southern California on Thursday (Jan 23), including a blaze that swelled over the past day and forced tens of thousands of evacuations north of Los Angeles.

Just a few hours after the initial spark of the Hughes Fire, Bakersfield City Council members addressed the growing concerns for safety and preparedness of our local emergency plans.

Firefighters are battling to maintain the upper hand on a huge and rapidly moving wildfire that swept through rugged mountains north of Los Angeles.