As fires continue to rage in California, a new blaze began earlier this week. Help this state, Lord!

From The Epoch Times. The Hughes Fire which broke out on Wednesday morning in a rugged mountainous area north of Los Angeles has exploded to more than 10,000 acres. The wildfire has led to mandatory evacuation orders for tens of thousands of people, including inmates at a Los Angeles detention center.

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The fire, which is burning in both Los Angeles and Ventura Counties, was 14 percent contained as of 10:22 p.m. It has not claimed any structures, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said at a press conference Wednesday evening.

Currently there are 4,000 firefighters deployed; approximately 32,000 people are affected by evacuation orders, and approximately 23,000 more are under evacuation warnings, he added.

Located near Castaic Lake six miles north of Six Flags Magic Mountain, the Hughes Fire erupted around 10:40 Wednesday morning, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). Within two hours, it had devoured 5,000 acres, and skies were darkened and ash falling as far away as Ventura, approximately 50 miles from Castaic. …

Weather is predominately driving the fire, Marrone said. “The situation remains dynamic, and the fire remains a difficult fire to contain, although we are getting the upper hand.”

Large swaths of Southern California will remain under a red-flag warning for extreme fire risk until Friday as dry and sweeping Santa Ana winds continue to whip through much of the region.

Though conditions are a little better, with winds lower than during the Palisades and Eaton fires earlier in January and more resources to fight the fire, the situation remains challenging. …

Wildfires have been burning in Los Angeles and Ventura counties since Jan. 7. The Palisades Fire has burned 23,448 acres so far and is 68 percent contained. Cal Fire estimates 6,000 structures may have been damaged or destroyed.

The Eaton Fire, meanwhile, has charred more 14,021 acres and is 95 percent contained. More than 9,000 structures were lost in the fire. There are presently 571 evacuees in six shelters. The Foothill Water District plans to test water for up to two weeks before lifting a standing “Do Not Drink” order.

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(Excerpt from The Epoch Times. Photo Credit: Caleb Cook on Unsplash)