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, but fire officials said a rapid ground and air assault was giving them the upper hand.

New wildfires that have erupted across the Los Angeles area have triggered tens of thousands of evacuation orders and warnings.

The Hughes fire about 50 miles north of Los Angeles further taxed firefighters in the region who have managed to bring two major fires in the metropolitan area largely under control.

The Hughes Fire broke out late Wednesday morning and in less than a day had charred nearly 16 square miles of trees and brush near Lake Castaic.

Continued strong winds and dry conditions on Wednesday morning rapidly spread a fire near Castaic Lake in northern Los Angeles County and has burned through 8,096 acres.