The Pentagon said Wednesday it has begun deploying 1,500 active-duty troops to the southern border, putting in motion plans President Trump laid out in executive orders shortly after he took office to crack down on immigration.

It's the first batch of troops deployed to the border following President Trump’s executive order demanding an immediate crackdown on immigration.

A wildfire in the hills near the U.S.-Mexico border exploded early Friday morning over thousands of acres, prompting evacuation orders throughout the Otay Wilderness Area and triggering school closures as well as likely power shutoffs for tens of thousands of people.

From federal funding to the restaurant industry, Trump’s executive orders are having early implications for the region he’s expected to visit Friday.

The blazes - named Laguna, Sepulveda, Gibbel, Gilman and Border 2 - flared up on Thursday in Los Angeles, San Diego, Ventura and Riverside.

Firefighters have slowed the spread of a huge wildfire churning through rugged mountains north of Los Angeles where dangerous winds gained strength again.

As nine wildfires continue to burn across Southern California, some much needed rain is in the forecast and President Donald Trump is headed to the state to assess the damage.