CASTAIC, Calif. — Firefighters fought to maintain the upper hand on a huge and rapidly moving wildfire that swept through rugged mountains north of Los Angeles and resulted in more than 50,000 people being put under evacuation orders or warnings.

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

The Hughes Fire has spread over 8,096 acres after starting just before lunchtime in Los Angeles County's Castaic Lake area on Wednesday.

Hughes Fire initially started 10:53 a.m. Jan. 22 in Los Angeles County. It has burned 10,396 acres after being active for 33 hours. By Thursday evening, the fire crew succeeded in containing 36% of the wildfire. The cause is, however, still being investigated.

Firefighters are battling to maintain the upper hand on a huge and rapidly-moving wildfire that swept through rugged mountains north of Los Angeles.

Hughes Fire in Los Angeles spreads north of Castaic as new evacuations ordered Warning: This live feed may contain distressing images or content. Watch live Aerial view of fire in Castaic, California as the Hughes Fire in spreads north of Los Angeles with new evacuations being ordered across LA County.

A fast-moving wildfire exploded to roughly 10,200 acres near the Los Angeles County community of Castaic Wednesday morning, prompting mandatory evacuation orders and road closures, authorities said.

The fire threat remains critical in Southern California, where thousands of residents were under evacuation orders Wednesday as fire crews battled the out-of-control Hughes Fire near Castaic, a suburb in the foothills and mountains of northern Los Angeles County.