A brand new blaze has ignited in Ventura County, in the hills above Southern California, forcing thousands of people to evacuate early Friday morning, even as weather conditions may be improving for firefighters across the state.

This new fire, the Maria Fire, broke out Thursday night between the communities of Santa Paula and Somis, and spread to roughly 8000 acres in less than 8 hours, according to officials. It is currently one of 14 active fires in California, many being kept alive by the forceful winds in recent days.

Weather conditions in the area are improving but they may still pose a problem, so red flag warnings remain in effect Friday for parts of Southern California. But winds should slow down, with possible 35 mph gusts Friday, after most of the week seeing winds at hurricane force.

The week-old Kincade Fire, currently the states largest active fire, has incinerated almost 78,000 homes and more than 260 structures, including 130 single-family homes. Early Friday morning, the fire was at 65 percent containment.