Exhausted firefighters battling deadly infernos for weeks are now grappling with more wildfires torching Southern California – including one that’s threatening 14,000 structures.

Twenty-seven people have died across the Los Angeles area. Officials have said the true death toll isn’t known as the fires continue to burn.

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.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department is working to locate and identify dozens of missing persons from the wildfires.

Smoke quickly filled the skies over Southern California on Wednesday as a new wildfire, dubbed the Hughes Fire, rapidly grew to more than 5,000 acres, video shows.

The National Weather Service says gusty weather was expected to last through Thursday and precipitation was possible starting Saturday.

Firefighters in Southern California have been conducting more fierce wildfire fights as crews race to contain and extinguish several fires that broke out on Wednesday and Thursday.

Loved ones are searching for a Southern California woman who has been missing for weeks. Sandra Lea Sharp, 41, from Artesia was reported missing on Dec. 30, 2024, according to the Los Angeles

Winds have picked up and are expected to continue through Tuesday morning, raising the risk of new wildfires sparking

There are no evacuation orders in place now for the Eaton and Sepulveda Fires in LA County, the Clay Fire in Riverside County or the Laguna Fire in Ventura County. Evacuation orders were in place for areas near the Laguna Fire but have since been changed to evacuation warnings, according to Cal Fire.

As winds across the Southern California area are calmer than their peak and firefighters are making progress, the threat to the fire-weary region remains with Santa Ana winds expected to continue in the coming days.