At least 28 people are believed to be dead and more than a dozen others remain unaccounted for as multiple wildfires rage across Southern California.

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.

California Republicans are pushing back against suggestions by President Donald Trump, House Speaker Mike Johnson and other Republicans that federal disaster aid for victims of wildfires that ravaged Southern California should come with strings attached,

More than 31,000 people have been ordered to evacuate from the Hughes Fire, and another 23,000 are under evacuation warnings, LA County Sheriff Robert Luna said. There were no reports of homes or other structures burned. Parts of Interstate 5 near the Hughes Fire that had been closed reopened Wednesday evening.

A second day of windy and dry conditions is in store for Southern California. Winds have picked up and are expected to continue through Tuesday morning, raising the risk of new wildfires sparking.

A recent moratorium now protects California policyholders from losing home insurance coverage for at least one year if their home is near a site affected by wildfires.

Southern California was forecast to face more dangerous winds on Wednesday, but could get some badly needed rain this weekend, which could create new challenges like toxic ash runoff.

While many of the fires that started burning in Southern California earlier this month have been contained, fire enabling weather has picked back up in the area and new fires have been ignited.

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)

Prices are now 1.5% off their all-time high in July, but some economists say prospective home buyers and sellers shouldn’t expect home values to plunge — one reason behind the shift is the market typically slows in the fall and winter and prices are still above where they were a year ago.

People in Southern California are risking their own safety to rescue animals, both big and small, from the wildfires that have killed 27 people and displaced even more after thousands of structures were destroyed.