Hundreds flee and homes burn as strong winds fuel wildfires in Southern California

MOORPARK, Calif. (AP) — California was hit by fierce winds Wednesday, fueling a fast-spreading wildfire that destroyed homes and forced hundreds of residents to flee, while another blaze burned nearby properties worth millions of dollars was burning along the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, as forecasters warned of the possibility of “extreme and life-threatening” fires.

The fire exploded in the mountains northwest of Los Angeles, triggering evacuation orders for suburban communities, ranches and agricultural areas near Santa Paula in southern Ventura County. A thick cloud of smoke rose several hundred meters into the sky, covering entire neighborhoods and reducing visibility for firefighters and evacuees.

By 9:15 a.m., the fire's area was mapped to nearly 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 due to “very dangerous” conditions caused by gusts of more than 61 miles per hour (98 km/h), weather service meteorologist Bryan Lewis said. He said pilots could encounter turbulence that could cause a plane to crash, as well as reduced visibility through 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 were injured. The fire crossed State Route 118 and spread into the Camarillo Heights neighborhood, prompting additional evacuations.

Aerial footage from KTLA-TV showed at least 20 homes in flames in several Camarillo neighborhoods as embers whipped from house to house. Other footage showed horses trotting alongside evacuating vehicles and golf carts.

Andrew Dowd, a county fire department spokesman, said he did not have details about how many buildings were damaged.

“We know that a number of structures were affected,” he told The Associated Press. “It’s a very unfortunate day.”

Gus Garcia, who owns a ranch south of the fire, said he is waiting to see if conditions change to decide whether to evacuate his horses and cattle. At around 12:30 p.m. his animals were still safe and he tried to stay out of the way of the others who were taking their livestock out.

His ranch is surrounded by others with horses and alpacas, and Garcia said his neighbors in the canyon didn't seem to be panicking.

“The horse community is preparing for this because it’s always a possibility up here,” he said.

Gov. Gavin Newsom's office said in a statement posted on the social platform X that multiple state agencies “are all in close communication to coordinate and support the needs in Ventura County.”

Meanwhile, to the south, Los Angeles County firefighters struggled to contain a wildfire near Malibu's Broad Beach as authorities briefly closed the famous coastal road. Residents were urged to seek shelter as aircraft dropped water on the 20-acre Broad Fire. By 12:30 p.m., 15% was contained and forward movement was halted. According to the fire department, two buildings burned down.

Tens of thousands of people across the state had their power shut off as a precautionary measure.

The National Weather Service's Los Angeles office has changed its warning of increased fire danger by labeling it a “rare” “particularly hazardous situation.”

With forecast gusts between 50 mph (80 km/h) and 100 mph (160 km/h) and humidity as low as 8%, conditions that could lead to “extreme and life-threatening” fires could prevail in parts of Southern California through Thursday, it said weather service said.

Officials in several counties urged residents to watch out for fast-spreading fires, power outages and downed trees amid recent notorious Santa Ana winds.

“People in canyon, mountain and foothill communities should be prepared to evacuate at any time,” the LA County Office of Emergency Management said on X. Some canyon roads were closed as a precaution and fire departments placed resources in fire-prone areas.

In southern Orange County, firefighters said ash and debris were kicked up from the airport fire that swept through the area earlier this year due to strong winds, but no active fires were reported there Wednesday. Gusts whipped through coastal towns, knocking down tree branches and toppling large trash cans.

Forecasters also issued red flag warnings through Thursday from California's central coast through the San Francisco Bay Area to counties north. According to the weather service in San Francisco, sustained winds of 30 mph (48 km/h) are expected in many areas, with possible gusts of over 55 mph (88 km/h) on mountain peaks.

More than 20,000 customers in 17 Northern California counties were without power Wednesday morning after Pacific Gas & Electric shut off power to prevent its equipment from starting fires in dry and windy conditions.

Southern California Edison has shut off power to more than 65,000 customers in Southern California to prevent wildfires amid high winds. Due to the risk, power shutdowns for more than 250,000 customers are being considered, the company said on its website.

Utilities in California began shutting down their facilities amid high winds and extreme fire danger after a series of massive and deadly wildfires in recent years sparked by power lines and other infrastructure.

The Broad Fire burned in the same area where the Woolsey Fire killed three people and destroyed 1,600 homes in 2018. This fire was started by Edison appliances that scorched dry grasslands and burned from the Santa Monica Mountains to the coast of Malibu.

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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.