Over 1,100 firefighters were “strategically pre-positioned” across Southern California to address "ongoing critical fire weather," Cal Fire said.

The Hughes fire broke out a little before 11 a.m., roughly 5 miles north of the Pitchess Detention Center. The sheriff's department has struggled with a shortage of buses to transport inmates.

A fresh California wildfire ignited north of Los Angeles Wednesday during "critical" fire weather and triggered evacuations as it quickly exploded in size across two counties on Wednesday into Thursday.

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.

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.

A rapidly growing wildfire broke out some 80 km north of Los Angeles on Wednesday (Jan 22), burning 20 sq km, while two major fires burning in the metropolitan area f

The Hughes fire started off Lake Hughes Road just before 11 a.m. and quickly prompted evacuations orders in and around Castaic Lake, which by afternoon extended toward Ventura County to the west and near Sandberg to the north. More than 31,000 people were ordered to evacuate and another 20,000 were in areas where evacuation warnings were issued.

See below for a look at where major wildfires are burning in Los Angeles County and where evacuation zones are located.

Gusty Santa Ana winds fanned the flames of a new, rapidly growing wildfire near Santa Clarita, California, on Wednesday, and smoke once again filled the sky over Southern California. The Hughes Fire was first reported at 10:53 a.

The fire threat remains critical in Southern California, where thousands of residents were under evacuation orders Wednesday as fire crews battled the out-of-control Hughes Fire near Castaic, a suburb in the foothills and mountains of northern Los Angeles County.