Powerful Santa Ana winds and hot, dry conditions drove multiple wildfires across Southern California, prompting evacuations near Malibu, Azusa and Camp Pendleton.
Utilities cut electricity to more than 150,000 customers as a precaution against fire-related damage.
The largest immediate concern was the Bryson Fire in the Santa Monica Mountains near Malibu, which had spread across an estimated 200 acres by Thursday night.
Los Angeles County officials reported 17% containment by Friday morning as evacuation warnings and orders remained in effect for nearby areas.
Firefighters Battle Bryson Fire as Winds Persist
More than 285 firefighters worked overnight to contain the Bryson Fire, according to The Guardian.
The blaze threatened a Los Angeles County juvenile detention and rehabilitative facility.
The Getty Villa museum near Malibu announced it would close Friday, and state parks in the Santa Monica Mountains also shut their facilities.
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone warned that strong winds, high temperatures and dry vegetation would sustain dangerous conditions.
He reported only minor injuries among the more than 400 firefighters working to contain the Bryson Fire.
Los Angeles County supervisor Lindsey Horvath credited firefighters with protecting residents and property during the emergency.
She said the fire was 17% contained Friday morning and urged residents to keep roads clear so emergency crews could move through affected areas.
The National Weather Service said critical fire conditions were expected to persist across Southern California, with the strongest Santa Ana wind gusts forecast through Friday afternoon.
A red flag warning remained in effect until 8 p. m.
Saturday, October 17.
Power Shutoffs and Other Blazes Across the Region
Southern California Edison had shut off electricity to more than 56,000 customers in Ventura County and another 68,000, mostly in neighboring Los Angeles and Kern counties, according to the Ventura County Star.
The broader statewide precautionary outages affected more than 150,000 customers as utilities sought to reduce the risk of electrical equipment igniting fires.
Locally, outages affected circuits in and around Simi Valley, Moorpark, Thousand Oaks, Camarillo, Ventura and Piru.
Edison said crews might need to inspect power lines and repair damage before restoring service, meaning electricity would not necessarily return immediately after winds weakened.
Ventura County firefighters also sent personnel and equipment to assist with the Bryson Fire.
Earlier Thursday, crews responded to the Cornell Fire near Santa Paula, south of Highway 126 near Peck Road, and a smaller fire off East Guiberson Road near Fillmore.
An evacuation warning near the Cornell Fire was lifted at about 2:30 p. m.
In Azusa, a fire burned more than 40 acres on Thursday and briefly prompted evacuation orders for a foothill neighborhood near the San Gabriel Mountains.
Authorities stopped its forward progress.
At Camp Pendleton, evacuation orders for the Las Flores area issued Thursday afternoon were lifted by evening, military officials said.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass directed the city's fire department to deploy personnel and equipment ahead of the wind event, while the department requested assistance from the state's Office of Emergency Services.
The precautions came after wind-driven fires in the Palisades and Altadena neighborhoods in January 2025 killed more than 30 people and destroyed thousands of homes.
National Weather Service meteorologist Rose Schoenfeld said the elevated fire danger extended across the region.
Schoenfeld said the forecast winds were not expected to reach the intensity recorded during the January 2025 fires, when gusts reached 60 to 100 mph.
However, authorities continued to warn that hot temperatures, low humidity and strong winds could cause fires to spread rapidly through the weekend.
Los Angeles County officials urged residents to remain vigilant while the red flag warning remained in effect through 8 p.
m. Saturday.
