WATCH: Time-Lapse Video Shows Rapid Growth of California's Latest Wildfire, Which Is Decimating Thousands of Acres

A wildfire near Castaic Lake erupted into an inferno within hours on Wednesday, consuming over 5,000 acres amid relentless Santa Ana winds. The blaze, dubbed the Hughes Fire, has forced mandatory evacuations as it spreads near residential areas and Six Flags Magic Mountain.

The rapid escalation of the Hughes Fire was captured in a time-lapse video shared by X user @BasedDK, "Watch: The #HughesFire that started a few hours ago has now grown to 5000+ acres and is growing rapidly due to high winds. Currently 0% containment."

"It does have a high potential for spread because we are looking at 32 mph winds as we speak," said L.A. County Fire Department Captain Sheila Kelliher Berkoh, as reported by CBS News.

The National Weather Service issued a red-flag warning, predicting wind gusts up to 65 mph in parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties through Thursday evening.

The worst wildfires in California history have wreaked havoc across the Los Angeles region over the past few weeks. They've claimed at least 28 lives, destroyed more than 15,000 buildings and homes, and scorched 63 square miles.