Mansions in Malibu are under threat from the Broad brush fire that is raging long the Pacific Coast Highway as some are already being engulfed in flames.
At least one mansion was seen burning from the Malibu fire as firefighters fought hard to keep it from spreading to nearby homes along the coastline on Wednesday.
Thick flames were seen escaping the upper windows of the home as large, white plumes of smoke filled the air.
The Broad Fire erupted Wednesday morning near PCH and Malibu Canyon Road and has grown to 50 acres, according to Cal Fire, according to ABC 7 and Cal Fire.
PCH is closed in both direction and officials are already warning Malibu residents about preparing for evacuations, according to ABC 7.
The fire had already burned around five acres when it was first reported around 9 am, LA County Fire Department spokesperson, Jonathan Torres, told KTLA.
Strong winds are setting firefighters’ efforts back and a high wind warning is in place until 4 pm on Thursday. The winds could reach up to 45 mph with gusts up to 75 mph, according to KTLA.
However, the wind is blowing toward the ocean, which Torres called ‘one of our saving graces’.
Residents were urged to shelter in place while aircraft dropped water on the 40-acre Broad Fire. Fire officials said two structures burned.
Meanwhile, northwest of Los Angeles, the fast-moving Mountain Fire prompted evacuation orders for multiple communities in an agricultural area near Santa Paula in southern Ventura County.
Andrew Dowd, a county fire spokesperson, said he did not have details of how many people were under evacuation orders or how many structures had been damaged.
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 miles and 100mph and humidity levels as low as eight percent, 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.
Pacific Gas & Electric Co. said it preemptively turned off power to a small number of customers late Tuesday in areas where strong gusts could damage electrical equipment and spark blazes.
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 also preemptively shut off power for more than 46,000 customers, including more than 12,000 in Los Angeles County on Wednesday.
Power shutoffs are being considered for more than 200,000 customers due to the risk, the company said on its website.