CASTAIC, Calif. (AP) — Firefighters fought to maintain the upper hand on a huge and rapidly moving wildfire that swept through rugged mountains north of Los Angeles and resulted in more than 50,000 people being put under evacuation orders or warnings.

Officials ordered evacuations in the area surrounding the Hughes Fire on Wednesday morning, located near Castaic Lake in Los Angeles County.

Palisades Fire initially started 10:30 a.m. Jan. 7 in Los Angeles County. It has burned 23,448 acres after being active for 15 days. A crew of 3,274 firefighters has been working on site and they managed to contain 70% of the fire by Wednesday evening. The blaze's cause remains under investigation.

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

A fast-moving California fire has forced authorities to evacuate part of a 5,000-person jail in Los Angeles County. The Hughes Fire, which broke out Wednesday afternoon in Castaic, is 0 percent contained and has already burned nearly 9,

Firefighters in Southern California conducted another fierce wildfire fight on Wednesday and into Thursday morning. Crews raced to contain the massive Hughes Fire in Los Angeles County while another blaze broke out near a busy freeway,

As firefighters continue to battle raging fires across Los Angeles County, a cut to the Los Angeles Fire Department 2025 budget and its commitment to recruiting a more diverse force have come under attack.

A brush fire erupted amid powerful winds Wednesday afternoon in the Castaic area in the northern region of Los Angeles County, spreading quickly to 10,176 acres near the freeway, officials said.

Thousands of firefighters worked to contain three new blazes Thursday, including one near the affluent Bel-Air neighborhood, while persistent winds left weary Angelenos on edge following weeks of historic fires.

Dozens of people are believed to have died in the Palisades and Eaton fires, which have burned down whole swaths of communities

Firefighters were quick to action on the Sepulveda Fire off Interstate 405 near the Bel-Air neighborhood. “We were able to keep it only to 40 acres,” Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson David Ortiz told CNN. “The Santa Ana winds are blowing against this fire, so we had that in our favor.” The fire is now 60 percent contained.