Photos taken of the Hughes Fire around Castaic Lake, California captured the massive blaze and cloud of smoke visible from Six Flags Magic Mountain.

Firefighters are battling a new brush fire that erupted along the 405 Freeway in Seal Beach, as they also race to contain the Hughes Fire near Castaic Lake.

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

The Hughes Fire has spread to over 8,000 acres in Los Angeles County's Castaic area on Wednesday as dry vegetation and brutal Santa Ana winds continue to boost fire conditions across Southern California.

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

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

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 fast-moving brush fire raced across thousands of acres of thick vegetation near Castaic Lake Wednesday, forcing mandatory evacuations in the lake area and into the heart of Castaic, with warnings stretching toward Santa Clarita and reaching the Ventura County line.

Overnight water drops helped stop the spread of a huge wildfire churning through rugged mountains north of Los Angeles.

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.

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.