Following arrests of alleged firefighter impersonators, officials say two more people have been taken into custody for using fake passes to unlawfully enter a fire evacuation zone.

The California Highway Patrol is searching for two dirt bike riders who started a multi-city police chase Thursday afternoon that garnered more than a dozen other bikers.

As critical fire weather continues to strike in Southern California, crews are also tasked with preparing for a storm expected this weekend that could trigger mudslides in burn scar areas.

Offramps along Interstate 5, a major north-south artery, were closed as flames raced along hilltops and down into rugged canyons.

Thousands of firefighters have been battling wildfires across 45 square miles of densely populated Los Angeles County. The two largest fires, the Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades and the Eaton Fire near Pasadena, remain active. One of the latest, the Hughes Fire in the Castaic area, has prompted evacuation orders for tens of thousands of people.

The Hughes fire seen from Magic Mountain has started north of Castaic and has exploded to more than 5,000 acres in under two hours on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, in Castaic, California. (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times/TNS) (Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times/TNS)

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.

A brush fire erupted amid powerful winds Wednesday afternoon in the Castaic area in the northern region of Los Angeles County, spreading quickly to 10,176 acres near the freeway, officials said.

CASTAIC, California (Reuters) -A new wildfire that broke out north of Los Angeles on Wednesday rapidly spread to more than 8,000 acres (32 square km), fueled by strong winds and dry brush, forcing mandatory evacuation orders for more than 19,

An explosive new wildfire erupted north of Los Angeles on Wednesday, forcing tens of thousands of people to evacuate their homes and setting nerves jangling in an area still reeling from two deadly blazes.

Firefighters in Southern California conducted another fierce wildfire fight on Wednesday and into Thursday morning.