Firefighters battled multiple wildfires Thursday in southern California, including a new blaze that erupted a day earlier and prompted authorities to order more than 30,000 people to evacuate. The Hughes Fire northwest of the city of Los Angeles became the latest focus for fire crews Wednesday as it swelled to burn an area of more than 41 square kilometers near the Lake Castaic recreation area.

Smoke quickly filled the skies over Southern California on Wednesday as a new wildfire, dubbed the Hughes Fire, rapidly grew to more than 5,000 acres, video shows. The rapidly growing fire near the Castaic jail complex sparked alarm,