As the sun began to set over Castaic Lake on Wednesday, the hills to the north and east were engulfed in flames, casting an eerie orange glow across the valley below.

The Hughes Fire grew rapidly near Castaic Lake, about 45 miles northwest of the city of Los Angeles, after it broke out at around 10.53am PST on Wednesday. No homes or businesses have been damaged, but about 31,000 residents have been forced to flee, officials said, with thousands more under evacuation warnings.

The Hughes Fire in Castaic area has burned more than 9,400 acres in just hours. While Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone called it a "difficult fire," he said that crews are "getting the upper hand on containing the blaze."

The Hughes Fire near Castaic, California, has burned over 5,000 acres, prompting evacuations and school closures.

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

A brush fire erupted amid powerful winds Wednesday morning in the Castaic area, quickly spreading to more than 9,000 acres.

The Hughes Fire, which scorched over 5,000 acres in less than three hours on Wednesday, caused multiple neighborhoods in the Castaic area to evacuate quickly.  The blaze was first reported shortly

A brush fire, now known as the Hughes Fire, broke out near Castaic Wednesday morning, prompting immediate action from fire crews and local authorities. The fire was first reported shortly

A large brush fire that erupted near Interstate 5 in Castaic has burned more than 9,000 acres, causing several evacuation orders and warnings Wednesday morning.

As of Wednesday night, nearly 31,000 people are under evacuation orders with another 23-thousand under evacuation warnings.That fire, hitting close to home for

A vegetation fire, the Hughes Fire erupts near Castaic Lake in a mountainous area. Former president George W. Bush took the internet by storm during the 2025 Inauguration of President Donald Trump, where the 43rd president seemed to have a playful moment during the proceedings.