Dry conditions remain in the Los Angeles area causing critical fire danger, but a chance of rain is in the forecast over the weekend.

A particularly dangerous situation red flag warning is in place from noon Monday to 10 a.m. Tuesday local time for a large portion of Ventura and Los Angeles counties.

Parched Southern California endured more dangerous winds on Wednesday but could get some needed rain this weekend, dampening prospects of another round of deadly wildfires while raising the possibility of new challenges like toxic ash runoff.

A quickly-expanding wildfire broke out in the mountains north of Los Angeles Wednesday, leading to evacuation orders for thousands as the blaze consumed over 8,000 acres of mostly dry vegetation.

The Hughes Fire has spread over 8,096 acres after starting just before lunchtime in Los Angeles County's Castaic Lake area on Wednesday.