The fire broke out at about 11 a.m. in the area of Lake Hughes Road near the 5 Freeway and Castaic Lake, according to Cal Fire.

Crews with the Los Angeles County Fire Department and Angeles National Forest are battling the blaze, which is burning in heavy fuels, creating the potential for "a rapid rate of spread," officials said.

As of Wednesday evening, no structures had been damaged or destroyed.

According to officials, 4,000 fire personnel were assisting with the fire, and more than 54,000 people were under evacuation orders and warnings.

Evacuation orders have been issued for the areas west of Lake Piru.

Offramps along Interstate 5, a major north-south artery, were closed as flames raced along hilltops and down into rugged canyons. Crews on the ground and in water-dropping aircraft attacked the wind-driven flames.

The 5 in both directions at Grapvine Road and State Route 126 are closed.

What they're saying

"Currently, obviously, it's a fast-moving fire and it is very, very, very dry out there," Dana Dierkes, fire information officer with the Angeles National Forest, said. "Winds make fire more challenging. Those are definitely factors that our firefighters are working with at this time."

"Winds can turn on a dime," said Santa Clarita Mayor Bill Mirada said. Mirada cautioned residents to stay vigilant as the evacuation zones continue to grow.

For more updates on the Santa Clarita area, click here.

"We have issued several evacuation orders and several evacuation warnings. If you receive that Los Angeles County alert, they are accurate," Los Angeles Sheriff's Dept. Deputy Robert Jensen said. During the onset of the Palisades, Eaton and Hurst fires earlier this month, many Los Angeles County residents received alerts on their phones in error due to a technical glitch.

The Source

Information for this article was gathered from FOX 11 Los Angeles coverage, CalFire, Angeles National Forest, the Watch App and The Associated Press. This story was reported from Los Angeles.