North of Los Angeles, a wildfire is rapidly growing while two major fires in the metropolitan area are being brought under control, according to fire officials.
On Wednesday, ferocious flames consumed hillsides near Castaic Lake, quickly spreading to cover over 9,400 acres (3,800 hectares) in a matter of hours.
Evacuations were ordered for 31,000 people around the lake, which is located 56km (35 miles) north of Los Angeles near Santa Clarita.
The United States Forest Service announced the closure of the entire 700,000-acre (2,800 sq-km) park in the San Gabriel Mountains to visitors.
While the new fire continues to burn, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) reported that the two devastating fires in Los Angeles are now being more effectively contained.
Following their outbreak on January 7, these fires have destroyed a significant area, resulting in the loss of 28 lives and causing damage or destruction to nearly 16,000 structures, as stated by Cal Fire.
AccuWeather estimates that the total damage and economic losses could exceed $250 billion.
