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 Hughes Fire near Castaic, California, has burned 10,176 acres, prompting evacuations and school closures across SoCal. Follow Newsweek's live blog.

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.

Residents in southern California are threatened by another massive blaze, the Hughes Fire, after a brush fire quickly burned over 5,000 acres.

Much-anticipated rain could be headed to drought-stricken Southern California this weekend -- but rainfall also brings the threat of landslides.