MOORPARK, Calif. (AP) — California was lashed by powerful winds Wednesday that fed a fast-moving wildfire that destroyed homes and forced hundreds of residents to flee while another fire burned near multimillion-dollar properties along the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu as forecasters warned of the potential for “extreme and life-threatening” blazes.
Northwest of Los Angeles, the Mountain Fire exploded in size and prompted evacuation orders for suburban communities, ranches and agricultural areas near Santa Paula in southern Ventura County. A thick plume of smoke rose hundreds of feet into the sky, blanketing whole neighborhoods and limiting visibility for firefighters and evacuees.
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At around 9:15 a.m. the blaze was mapped at just under 250 acres (100 hectares), and by 1:45 p.m. it was more than 35 times larger at over 14 square miles (36 square kilometers).
The erratic winds grounded fixed-wing aircraft because of “very dangerous” conditions caused by gusts topping 61 mph (98 kph), said weather service meteorologist Bryan Lewis. He said pilots could encounter turbulence capable of bringing a plane down, as well limited visibility from the smoke. Water-dropping helicopters were still flying.
Several people were injured and taken to hospitals, the Ventura County Fire Department said, but it was not immediately clear how they got hurt. The blaze crossed State Route 118 and spread to the Camarillo Heights neighborhood, prompting additional evacuations.
Aerial footage from KTLA-TV showed at least 20 houses in flames across several Camarillo neighborhoods as embers were whipped from home to home. Other footage captured horses trotting alongside evacuating vehicles and golf carts.
Andrew Dowd, a county fire spokesperson, said he did not have details of how many structures had been damaged.
“We know that there have been a number of structures impacted,” he told The Associated Press. “It’s a very unfortunate day.”
Gus Garcia, who owns a ranch south of the fire, said he’s waiting to see whether conditions will change to decide if he should evacuate his horses and cattle. Around 12:30 p.m., his animals were still safe and he was trying to stay out of the way as others got their livestock out.
His ranch is surrounded by others with horses and alpaca, and Garcia said his neighbors in the canyon did not seem panicked.
“The horse community, they prepare for this because it’s always a possibility up here,” he said.
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office, in a statement posted to the social platform X, said multiple state agencies are “all in close communication to coordinate and support needs in Ventura County.”
Meanwhile to the south, Los Angeles County Fire Department crews scrambled to contain a wildfire near Malibu’s Broad Beach as authorities briefly shut down the famous seaside roadway. Residents were urged to shelter in place while aircraft dropped water on the 50-acre (20-hectare) Broad Fire. It was 15% contained around 12:30 p.m. with forward progress stopped. Fire officials said two structures burned.
Tens of thousands of people had their power shut off across the state as a precaution.
The National Weather Service office for Los Angeles amended its red flag warning for increased fire danger with a rare “particularly dangerous situation” label.
With predicted gusts between 50 mph (80 kph) and 100 mph (160 kph) and humidity levels as low as 8%, parts of Southern California could experience conditions ripe for “extreme and life-threatening” fire behavior into Thursday, the weather service said.
Officials in several counties urged residents to be on watch for fast-spreading blazes, power outages and downed trees amid the latest round of notorious Santa Ana winds.
“Those in canyon, mountain, and foothill communities should be ready to evacuate at a moment’s notice,” the LA County Office of Emergency Management said on X. Some canyon roads were closed as a precaution and fire departments positioned resources in areas prone to fires.
To the south in Orange County, fire officials said ash and debris were being kicked up from the Airport Fire, which tore through the area earlier this year due to high winds, but no active fires were reported there Wednesday. Gusts whipped through coastal cities, bringing down tree branches and toppling large trash bins.
Forecasters also issued red flag warnings until Thursday from California’s central coast through the San Francisco Bay Area and into counties to the north. Sustained winds of 30 mph (48 kph) are expected in many areas, with possible gusts topping 55 mph (88 kph) along mountaintops, according to the weather service office in San Francisco.
More than 20,000 customers in 17 Northern California counties were without electricity Wednesday morning after Pacific Gas & Electric shut off power to prevent its equipment from sparking fires amid dry and windy conditions.
Southern California Edison has shut off power to more than 65,000 customers in Southern California in an effort to prevent wildfires amid high winds. Power shutoffs are being considered for more than 250,000 customers due to the risk, the company said on its website.
Utilities in California began powering down equipment during high winds and extreme fire danger after a series of massive and deadly wildfires in recent years were sparked by electrical lines and other infrastructure.
The Broad Fire was burning in the same area where in 2018 the Woolsey Fire killed three people and destroyed 1,600 homes. That blaze was sparked by Edison equipment that scorched dry grasslands and burned across the Santa Monica Mountains all the way to the Malibu coast.
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Dazio and Weber reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press journalists Ryan Pearson in Los Angeles, Amy Taxin in Orange County, California, and Olga Rodriguez in San Francisco contributed to this report.
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