As the Hughes Fire continues to blaze near Castaic Lake, residents of Castaic and Santa Clarita find themselves grappling with deteriorating air quality.  The South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) has issued multiple advisories,

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 has now burned 8,096 acres in Los Angeles and Ventura counties since igniting late Wednesday morning near Castaic Lake, according to Cal Fire. More than 24,00 people have been ordered to evacuate due to the Hughes Fire. Another 30,000 people are in evacuation warning zones.

The blaze was reported just after 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 22 in the area of Lake Hughes Road near the 5 Freeway, according to Cal Fire.

Original: A brush fire erupted in Castaic, sending smoke over the Santa Clarita Valley. Around 10:40 a.m. Wednesday, first responders received reports of a brush fire on Lake Hughes Road north of Castaic Lake, according to officials. The fire is currently at 50+ acres. Smoke from the fire is visible throughout Santa Clarita.

Santa Clarita, the area affected by the Hughes Fire, is a densely populated community predominantly comprising workers and middle-class families.

The Hughes Fire was first reported shortly after 10:30 a.m. along Lake Hughes Road, near Castaic Lake and the 5 Freeway, according to Cal Fire.

As critical fire weather continues to strike in Southern California, crews are also tasked with preparing for a storm expected this weekend that could trigger mudslides in burn scar areas.

Zones highlighters are under evacuation orders and warnings in Southern California, according to Cal Fire. There are no evacuation orders in place now for the Eaton and Sepulveda Fires in LA County or the Clay Fire in Riverside County.

Flames erupted near the Bel-Air neighborhood just hours after another fire sparked and quickly spread in northern Los Angeles County.

A rapidly spreading wildfire in Southern California, known as the Hughes Fire, exploded to nearly 10,200 acres as of Thursday morning, crossing parts of Interstate 5 and sending heavy smoke billowing across the area.