A second day of windy and dry conditions is in store for Southern California. Winds have picked up and are expected to continue through Tuesday morning, raising the risk of new wildfires sparking.
"The fire is growing with a moderate rate of spread and structures are threatened," Cal Fire said as it issued evacuation orders.
The Palisades and Eaton wildfires also continue burning in the Los Angeles area, leaving parts of Southern California with devastating fire damage.
Earlier this month, strong Santa Ana winds created the ideal conditions for fire to spread, spurring flames at multiple wildfires in Los Angeles. Firefighters are ... the two new fires have been called the Lilac Fire and the Pala Fire.
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 Los Angeles haven’t spread in nearly a week, but the return of the Santa Ana winds to full strength could cause problems.
At least 27 people have died in the Eaton and Palisades fires, the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner said Thursday evening. Seventeen of the deaths are from the Eaton Fire in Altadena and 10 from the Palisades Fire, according to the medical examiner.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said in an update Thursday that 18 people remain missing after the Southern California wildfires. Overall, authorities received a total of 43 missing persons reports related to the Eaton and Palisades fires. Of those, 12 were located safe.
The Hughes Fire has spread over 5,054 acres after starting just before lunchtime in Los Angeles County's Castaic Lake area on Wednesday.
The bushfire started northwest of Downtown Los Angeles and spread from Los Angeles County to Ventura County and prompted evacuations.
Parched Southern California was forecast to face more dangerous winds on Wednesday but could get some badly needed rain this weekend, dampening the prospects of another round of killer wildfires.
As wildfires continued to burn in Los Angeles, three fires broke out in San Diego County, prompting evacuation orders and warnings.