The Palisades and Eaton wildfires continue burning in the Los Angeles area that left parts of Southern California with devastating fire damage.

With high winds driving the flames, a fast-moving wildfire exploded to roughly 10,200 acres near the Los Angeles County community of Castaic Wednesday, prompting mandatory evacuation orders for tens of thousands of people.

A fire north of a jail complex in Castaic has triggered evacuations in Los Angeles County, even as Southern California hopes for some rain to help with firefighting efforts.

Thousands of firefighters have been battling wildfires across 45 square miles of densely populated Los Angeles County. The two largest fires, the Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades and the Eaton Fire near Pasadena, remain active. One of the latest, the Hughes Fire in the Castaic area, has prompted evacuation orders for tens of thousands of people.

Firefighters are responding to a brush fire in the Castaic area of Los Angeles County Wednesday morning, according to the Angeles National Forest.

The approximately 10,176-acre Hughes Fire burning northeast of Castaic Lake in northern Los Angeles County has created smoke

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

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

Fire crews are battling a swiftly growing blaze dubbed the Hughes Fire burning near Interstate 5 in Castaic, in the northern part of Los Angeles County.

The Hughes fire has burned through 3,407 acres since it started late Wednesday morning, according to local officials.

CASTAIC, California >> Powerful winds and bone-dry conditions could pose a challenge to firefighters battling new wildfires in southern California today, including a blaze that swelled over the past day and forced tens of thousands of evacuations north of Los Angeles.

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.