A fast-moving wildfire exploded to roughly 10,200 acres near the Los Angeles County community of Castaic Wednesday morning, prompting mandatory evacuation orders and road closures, authorities said.

Amid an extended red flag warning, a new fire exploded north of Castaic. Evacuations were ordered after 11 a.m. Wind gusts reached 31 mph Wednesday afternoon in the area and are expected to increase over the next several hours.

Continued strong winds and dry conditions on Wednesday morning rapidly spread a fire near Castaic Lake in northern Los Angeles County and has burned through 8,096 acres.

Hughes Fire initially started today at 10:53 a.m. in Los Angeles County. It has burned 50 acres after being active for less than an hour. At present, there are no details on the containment of the fire. Vegetation fire reported near Castaic Lake with a rapid rate of spread and spotting.

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

Mark E. Potts is the senior editor for video at the Los Angeles Times. A native of Enid, Okla., Potts graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a master’s degree in broadcast journalism. He has created and edited video for DreamWorks, YouTube, Microsoft, Sony and BET.

A hard-charging brush fire erupted in northern Los Angeles County on Wednesday, hustling through more than 10,000 acres of terrain so far, aided by heavy, dry brush and pushed by gusting Santa Ana winds,

Firefighters responded to a brush fire Wednesday north of Los Angeles on a day of red flag warnings for parts of Southern California.

The Hughes Fire exploded in size in the Castaic area on Wednesday, and evacuations continue to expand. Former president George W. Bush took the internet by storm during the 2025 Inauguration of President Donald Trump,