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

Officials ordered evacuations in the area surrounding the Hughes Fire on Wednesday morning, located near Castaic Lake in Los Angeles County.

A spokesperson for the fire department told Lead Stories the claim is false. The department's single electric fire engine was acquired in 2022.

Offramps along Interstate 5, a major north-south artery, were closed as flames raced along hilltops and down into rugged canyons.

A fast-moving California fire has forced authorities to evacuate part of a 5,000-person jail in Los Angeles County. The Hughes Fire, which broke out Wednesday afternoon in Castaic, is 0 percent contained and has already burned nearly 9,

The recent wildfires have left Los Angeles -- the second-largest city in the United States and home to the country's rich and famous -- in rubble.

Flames were devouring hillsides near Castaic Lake, covering more than 3,200ha in just a few hours. Read more at straitstimes.com.

The Hughes fire seen from Magic Mountain has started north of Castaic and has exploded to more than 5,000 acres in under two hours on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, in Castaic, California. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times/TNS) (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

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

A hard-charging brush fire erupted in northern Los Angeles County on Wednesday, hustling through 9,400 acres of terrain so far, aided by heavy, dry brush and pushed by gusting Santa Ana winds, Cal Fire officials said.