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

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.

After a two-week closure prompted by the Eaton Fire, 10 campuses and programs in the Pasadena Unified School District are set to reopen.

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

The fast-burning Hughes Fire prompted evacuations on Wednesday morning after it was reporting burning near Castaic Lake in Los Angeles County. (Source: KTTV)

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)

Firefighters battled two new brush fires - the Hughes Fire near Castaic Lake and the Sepulveda Fire in Bel Air, along the 405 Freeway.

A fast-moving brush fire erupted in Los Angeles County on Wednesday morning, quickly racing across 1,000 acres of terrain, aided by heavy, dry fuels and pushed by gusting Santa Ana winds.

A brush fire ignited near Castaic Lake amid windy and dry conditions Wednesday afternoon, forcing evacuations in the area as the blaze quickly grows.

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."

With conditions improving on the fire lines and containment growing, evacuation orders and warnings were dramatically scaled back Thursday around the Hughes Fire near Castaic Lake. While evacuation orders remained in place for areas around the immediate perimeter of the fire,