More than 50,000 people were under evacuation orders or warnings Wednesday as a huge and fast-moving wildfire swept through rugged mountains north of Los Angeles, as parched Southern California endured another round of dangerous winds and two major previous blazes continued to smolder. The Hughes Fire broke out in the late morning and within hours charred more than 15 square miles of trees and brush, sending up plumes of dark smoke near Lake Castaic, a popular recreation area about 40 miles from the devastating Eaton and Palisades fires that are burning for a third week. More than 31,000 people have been ordered to evacuate and another 23,000 are under evacuation warnings, LA County Sheriff Robert Luna said. LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said the fire remains difficult to contain but firefighters are getting the upper hand. Parts of Interstate 5 that had been closed will shortly be reopened, Luna said. A 30-mile stretch of Interstate 5, a major north-south artery, was closed as flames raced along hilltops and down into wooded canyons. Crews on the ground and in water-dropping aircraft tried to prevent the wind-driven fire from moving across the interstate and toward Castaic. Winds in the area were gusting at 42 mph in the afternoon but were expected to increase to 60 mph by later in the evening and Thursday, the National Weather Service said on the social platform X. AP video shot by Eugene Garcia and Ethan Swope