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

Fueled by powerful winds and dry conditions, a series of ferocious wildfires erupted the second week of January and roared across the Los Angeles area.

The Hughes Fire that started on Wednesday has burned through over 5,000 acres in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties on Wednesday.

Firefighters are battling to maintain the upper hand on a huge and rapidly-moving wildfire that swept through rugged mountains north of Los Angeles.

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

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

Firefighters are responding to a brush fire in the Castaic area of Los Angeles County Wednesday morning, according to the Angeles National Forest.

Some schools destroyed years ago in the Sonoma and Butte county fires are just now reopening. The long, expensive process of rebuilding in LA may eat up much of the money voters approved in November for school repairs statewide.

More than 50,000 are under evacuation orders or warnings as a new wind-driven wildfire spreads in the mountains north of Los Angeles.

By David Swanson and Daniel Trotta CASTAIC, California (Reuters) -A new wildfire that broke out north of Los Angeles on Wednesday rapidly spread to more than 8,000 acres (32 square km), fueled by strong winds and dry brush,

A brush fire near Los Angeles County’s Castaic community has spread to over 5,000 acres. A mandatory evacuation order in the surrounding areas is now in place.