An explosive new wildfire erupted north of Los Angeles on Wednesday, forcing tens of thousands of people to evacuate their homes and setting nerves jangling in an area

By David Swanson and Daniel Trotta CASTAIC, California (Reuters) -A new wildfire that broke out north of Los Angeles on Wednesday rapidly spread to more than 8,000 acres (32 square km), fueled by strong winds and dry brush,

A new wildfire was reported 5:09 p.m. Jan. 18 in Los Angeles County. Clear Fire has been burning on federal land managed by the United States Forest Service for four days. At this time, the containment status is unknown and the cause of the fire remains undetermined.

A rapidly growing wildfire broke out some 80 km north of Los Angeles on Wednesday (Jan 22), burning 20 sq km, while two major fires burning in the metropolitan area f

Roughly 31,000 people were ordered to flee an area north of Los Angeles on Wednesday after a fast-moving wildfire exploded, growing to more than 9,000 acres within hours, officials said.

A new wildfire was reported today at 10:37 a.m. in Los Angeles County. Hughes Fire has been burning on federal land managed by the United States Forest Service. There is currently no information on the containment of the fire and its cause has not yet been determined.

The Hughes fire, which broke out north of Santa Clarita earlier Wednesday, has scorched more than 8,000 acres, according to Cal Fire.

The Hughes Fire is forcing evacuations near Castaic, approximately 45 miles north of Los Angeles. As NBC News' Liz Kreutz reports, thousands of firefighters are on the ground battling the blaze while planes and helicopters attack from the skies.