The Palisades and Eaton wildfires also continue burning in the Los Angeles area, leaving parts of Southern California with devastating fire damage.

The approximately 10,176-acre Hughes Fire burning northeast of Castaic Lake in northern Los Angeles County has created smoke

Firefighters gained more ground Thursday on a fast-moving brushfire that erupted north of Los Angeles the day before and within hours exploded to thousands of acres amid high winds, officials said.

Firefighters responded to a brush fire Wednesday north of Los Angeles on a day of red flag warnings for parts of Southern California.

A fire north of a jail complex in Castaic has triggered evacuations in L.A. County, even as Southern California hopes for some rain to help with firefighting efforts.

Firefighters responded to a brush fire Wednesday north of Los Angeles on a day of red flag warnings for parts of Southern California.

The Hughes fire has prompted mandatory evacuations in Castaic, California, as the fire has a "rapid rate of spread" Cal Fire said.

The Hughes fire has burned through 3,407 acres since it started late Wednesday morning, according to local officials.

Mark E. Potts is the senior editor for video at the Los Angeles Times. A native of Enid, Okla., Potts graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a master’s degree in broadcast journalism. He has created and edited video for DreamWorks, YouTube, Microsoft, Sony and BET.

With parts of Los Angeles County still smoldering from wildfires, the expected rain this weekend would seem like a welcome relief. But how the rain falls could make the difference between a disaster respite or a disaster repeat.