Malibu fire today: Brush fire breaks out near Broad Beach; the famous road, PCH, is closed; Winds raise risk of wildfires across California

LOS ANGELES — Powerful winds hit California on Wednesday, causing humidity levels to plummet and prompting forecasters to warn of the potential for “extreme and life-threatening” wildfires.

Los Angeles County fire crews were trying to contain a small fire caused by erratic wind gusts that spread flames through dry brush near Broad Beach along the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. The iconic road, lined with seaside mansions, was closed after the plane dropped water on the 40-acre (16-hectare) Broad Fire. Residents were urged to shelter in place, and fire officials said two structures were burned.

The National Weather Service office in Los Angeles added a rare “particularly hazardous situation” designation to its red flag warning of increased fire danger.

With forecast wind gusts of 50 to 100 mph and humidity levels as low as 8%, parts of Southern California could have conditions ripe for an “extreme and life-threatening” fire on Thursday, the weather service said.

Authorities in several counties warned residents to watch for fast-moving fires, power outages and downed trees during the latest wave of notorious Santa Ana winds.

“Residents in the canyons, mountains and foothills should be prepared to evacuate at a moment’s notice,” the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management said on Channel X. Some roads in the canyon were closed as a precaution, and fire departments deployed resources to areas prone to fires. .

Northwest of Los Angeles, a fast-moving mountain fire prompted evacuation orders for several communities in a farming area near Santa Paula in southern Ventura County.

Andrew Dowd, a spokesman for the county fire department, said he did not have details on how many people were ordered to evacuate or how many structures were damaged.

“There are several houses damaged by the fire,” he said. “It’s a fast moving fire.”

The last update on the size of the fire was 248 acres around 9:15 a.m., but Dowd said it has grown significantly since then.

In southern Orange County, fire officials said ash and debris were billowing from an airport fire that hit the area earlier this year due to high winds, but no active fires were reported there Wednesday. Gusts of wind swept across coastal towns, bringing down tree branches and overturning large trash cans.

Forecasters also issued red flag warnings through Thursday from California’s central coast through the San Francisco Bay Area and into counties to the north.

Sustained winds of 30 mph are expected in many areas, with gusts of up to 55 mph possible at mountaintops, according to the San Francisco weather service.

Pacific gas & Electric Co. said it proactively cut off power to a small number of customers late Tuesday in areas where strong wind gusts could damage electrical equipment and cause sparks.

More than 20,000 customers in 17 Northern California counties were without power Wednesday morning after an incident with Pacific Gas. & Electrical power cut to prevent equipment fire in dry and windy weather.

Southern California Edison also preemptively shut off power to more than 46,000 customers, including more than 12,000 in Los Angeles County on Wednesday. Due to the risk, power cuts to more than 200,000 customers are being considered, the company said on its website.