Firefighters made progress on the more than 10,000-acre Hughes Fire Friday, which sent thousands fleeing after sparking near the Los Angeles County community of Castaic a day earlier.

The Hughes Fire sent thick grey smoke billowing over homes in Santa Clarita, California. At least 31,000 residents were ordered to evacuate due to the rapid spread of the blaze on Wednesday afternoon,

Firefighters continue to battle fires across Southern California as the area prepares for a presidential visit Friday and rain in the weekend forecast.

The Hughes Fire burned some 10,176 acres but that figure held steady throughout the day as 4,000 firefighters dropped water and retardant from the air and used hand tools and hoses on the ground.

As the cleanup phase of recovery begins after the devastating fires in L.A. County, displaced residents grapple with new uncertainty surrounding the cost and timeline for rebuilding.

The Hughes fire, which broke out north of Santa Clarita on Wednesday, has scorched more than 10,000 acres.

The Hughes Fire has spread over 8,096 acres after starting just before lunchtime in Los Angeles County's Castaic Lake area on Wednesday.

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

At the time of publication, the Laguna fire had burned approximately 50 acres and was still listed at 0 percent containment, according to Cal Fire. Evacuation warnings, which indicate a "potential threat to life and/or property," were in effect for "Laguna Zone 1" and "Laguna Zone 2."

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.

Thursday, 11:27 p.m. PSTThe National Weather Service forecasted a low pressure system “likely” to bring much needed rain to Southern California ... north of Santa Clarita, has burned about ...

At least 29 people are believed to be dead and more than a dozen others remain unaccounted for as multiple wildfires rage across Southern California.