Photos taken of the Hughes Fire around Castaic Lake, California captured the massive blaze and cloud of smoke visible from Six Flags Magic Mountain.
The Palisades and Eaton wildfires continue burning in the Los Angeles area, leaving parts of Southern California with devastating fire damage.
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.
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.
Powerful winds and bone-dry conditions could pose a challenge to firefighters battling new wildfires in southern California on Thursday, including a blaze that swelled over the past day and forced tens of thousands of evacuations north of Los Angeles.
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 now burned 8,096 acres in Los Angeles and Ventura counties since igniting late Wednesday morning near Castaic Lake, according to Cal Fire. As more than 400 firefighters responded to the scene, an air tanker and four helicopters attacked the blaze from the air, preventing it from jumping Interstate 5, officials said.
The incoming rain this weekend brings mudslide threat to areas previously affected by the wildfires, as crews race to contain the Hughes Fire near Castaic Lake.
Firefighters stopped the expansion of a new wildfire north of Los Angeles on Thursday after it spread rapidly, as California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a $2.5 billion relief package for the fire-devastated region.
Over 1,100 firefighters were “strategically pre-positioned” across Southern California to address "ongoing critical fire weather," Cal Fire said.