Mom, are we going to have to run?' Here's how the first 24 hours of our unprecedented conflagration unfolded across L.A. County

The Hughes Fire burned some 10,176 acres but that figure held steady throughout the day as 4,000 firefighters dropped water and retardant from the air and used hand tools and hoses on the ground.

Firefighters are battling a fast-moving blaze in southern California that has swelled over the past day, with authorities warning that Thursday is "the period of greatest concern". The Hughes fire, about 45 miles (72 km) north of Los Angeles,