A fast-moving wildfire broke out in Southern California on Wednesday, prompting evacuation orders and the closure of a portion of a key freeway.
Following two adjacent fires that destroyed thousands of houses and killed at least 27 people in the Los Angeles area earlier this month, the Hughes Fire broke out.
More than 5,000 acres had been burned by the most recent fire, which was reported at 10:53 a.m. on Wednesday in Castaic, a hamlet in northern Los Angeles County, according to fire officials.
The Angeles National Forest said in a statement that the fire was uncontainable as of 1:33 p.m.
The California Highway Patrol reported that a portion of Interstate 5, which runs across California, Oregon, and Washington State, had its northbound lanes closed.
The number of persons who had been told to leave their houses was not immediately apparent.
Investigations were underway to determine the cause of the fire. With strong winds and extremely dry weather predicted through Thursday, the National Weather Service warned on Tuesday of a return of dangerous fire conditions.
The conditions that increase the likelihood of flames like the ones that have raged over Los Angeles in recent weeks are linked to climate change, according to experts.
Images from NBC Los Angeles showed enormous flames burning what looked to be a ridge line, with huge smoke plumes towering over the area.
As of Wednesday, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or CalFire, reported that the Eaton Fire, which broke out on January 7 and ravaged the Altadena town, had burnt over 14,000 acres and was 91 percent contained.
Hours earlier, the Pacific Palisades area was the scene of the Palisades Fire. CalFire reported that the fire was 68 percent contained and had burned over 23,000 acres.
The department said it was still investigating the cause of the fires.