Malibu wildfire prompts evacuations as strong winds threaten containment

A wildfire in Malibu forced residents from their homes and threatened more than 100 structures Friday as firefighters battled strong winds and dry conditions expected to keep Southern California on alert into the weekend.

The Bryson Fire broke out just before 5 p.m. Thursday along Encinal Canyon Road in the rugged Santa Monica Mountains. It was 17% contained Friday morning, Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath said. NBC News reported that the fire covered 146 acres, citing county Fire Chief Anthony Marrone, while The Guardian reported that it had grown to about 200 acres.

Evacuation orders were in place for the Encinal, Trancas and Zuna Canyon areas, requiring residents to leave immediately. By early Friday afternoon, about a dozen evacuation warnings had been issued for nearby areas, according to NBC News. The Red Cross opened an emergency shelter at Agoura High School.

No deaths or damage to structures had been reported Friday morning, Marrone said. He estimated that more than 100 structures in the fire’s general area were threatened. The Guardian reported that the blaze also threatened a Los Angeles County juvenile detention and rehabilitative facility. The Getty Villa, an antiquities museum near Malibu, closed Friday because of the fire, and state parks in the Santa Monica Mountains were also closed, The Guardian reported.

“If the winds kick up later this afternoon, and we were to lose containment of the fire, a larger area could be affected and under threat,” Marrone said.

More than 400 firefighters were working on the blaze Friday, with over 75 ground and aerial resources committed, Marrone said. NBC News reported that one firefighter sustained minor injuries Thursday night, was taken to a hospital and was expected to recover. Horvath thanked crews “who held the line” overnight and urged residents to keep roads clear for emergency responders.

Santa Ana winds, low humidity and dry vegetation were expected to hamper containment efforts. The National Weather Service forecast winds of up to 35 mph, with gusts reaching 70 mph, according to NBC News. Fire risk was highest Friday in western Los Angeles County, Ventura County and southeastern Santa Barbara County.

“We are still in red flag conditions through 8pm [Saturday] evening,” Horvath said. “So it’s important that we stay vigilant and stay prepared.”

The fire was one of several crews confronted in Southern California. In Azusa, north of Los Angeles, the Peak Fire burned 43 acres Thursday and briefly prompted evacuation orders near the San Gabriel Mountains. Firefighters stopped its forward progress by Thursday night, when it was 41% contained, NBC News reported. At Camp Pendleton, north of San Diego, officials issued evacuation orders for the Las Flores area Thursday afternoon and lifted them that evening, according to The Guardian.

Utilities proactively cut electricity to more than 150,000 customers across California amid the fire risk, The Guardian reported. National Weather Service meteorologist Rose Schoenfeld called it “a pretty widespread event of elevated fire weather” and said the whole Southern California region should be on alert.