Hughes Fire breaks out near Castaic Lake as strong winds, dry conditions linger across SoCal

A man who oversees multiple movie studios in the Santa Clarita Valley was forced to stop production Wednesday due to the Hughes Fire.

Daniel Veluzat with Santa Clarita Movie Ranch said at least one of his studios was forced to evacuate.

"We just pulled the plug on any production today," he said. "It's just not worth the risk. With these high winds, and the way that these embers fly like missiles, we can't take the chance. Those that don't understand how these fires work, somebody has to make that call and say, 'We've got to get to safety.'"

Daniel Veluzat with Santa Clarita Movie Ranch said at least one of his studios was forced to evacuate.

Thousands of residents in the Castaic area were forced to flee their homes as the Hughes Fire quickly grew in size Wednesday, and some said the recent destruction left by the Palisades and Eaton fires gave them a sense of urgency.

"The urgency is definitely there. You think you're ready, but you're never ready. You're never really ready to go," said resident David Monroe. "... It hits you fast."

Among the items he paced: family mementos, pictures and his two dogs. His wife was unable to get past the road closures and to the house to help.

Thousands of residents in the Castaic area were forced to flee their homes as the Hughes Fire quickly grew in size Wednesday, and some said the recent destruction left by the Palisades and Eaton fires gave them a sense of urgency.

Still, he waited back a bit to see how the situation developed.

"If I see embers, I'm gone... We've done this before. We've been evacuated before... I'll be ready to go."

The Hughes Fire has burned at least 5,0054 acres.

A family in Castaic grabbed a hose and wetted down their car and property as they prepared to flee their home amid the Hughes Fire.

Their relative recently lost his home in the Eaton Fire, as did some of their friends who live in the Pacific Palisades to the Palisades Fire.

In their neighborhood, located near Pine Crest Place and Ridge Rte. Drive, deputies were going door to door to urge residents to evacuate.

The family was understandably anxious, as their relative recently lost his home in the Eaton Fire.

The Hughes Fire is currently burning over 30 acres a minute, which is the length of 23 football fields each minute, according to our ABC data team.

The brush fire, which erupted around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, has burned over 5,000 acres in the Castaic area in north Los Angeles County.

An estimated 19,000 people live in the mandatory evacuation zones, while another 16,000 people live in the Hughes Fire evacuation warning zones.

That's a total of 35,000 people in mandatory or warning evacuation zones.

The Hughes Fire is rapidly spreading in the Castaic area in northern Los Angeles County.