Critical fire weather is expected to continue until Wednesday at the earliest, increasing the risk that fires will spread further.

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

The fire — which erupted near Castaic Lake in Los Angeles County, north of Santa Clarita, late Wednesday morning — has grown to over 10,000 acres.

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.

By David Swanson and Daniel Trotta CASTAIC, California (Reuters) -A new wildfire that broke out north of Los Angeles on Wednesday rapidly spread to more than 9,400 acres (38 square km), fueled by strong winds and dry brush,

Jan. 24 A new wildfire was reported today at 1:06 p.m. in Los Angeles County. The wildfire has been burning on private land. At this time, the containment status is unknown and the cause of the fire remains undetermined.

The two largest fires, the Palisades Fire in Pacific Palisades and the Eaton Fire near Pasadena, remain active. One of the latest, the Hughes Fire in the Castaic area, has prompted evacuation orders for tens of thousands of people.