A brush fire that raced through open terrain in Malibu amid fierce Santa Ana winds, burning 147 acres and prompting evacuation orders and warnings and the clearance of a juvenile probation camp, was 52% contained Saturday.
“Firefighters will focus on mopping up hot spots and strengthen existing containment lines while continuing construction of additional containment lines,” Malibu officials said Saturday morning.
High winds in the forecast through Saturday could still fan the flames of the Bryson Fire, which broke out shortly before 5 p.m. Thursday near Campus Vernon Kilpatrick on Encinal Canyon Road west of Mulholland Highway, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said Friday morning that no structures had been damaged or destroyed by the fire, but 7,221 structures remained threatened as of Friday evening.
There were 721 personnel assigned to the fire as of Friday night, along with 65 engines and two helicopters, according to Cal Fire. Numerous firefighting air tankers from throughout the state were flying fire suppression missions as conditions allowed, the agency reported.
Within 30 minutes after breaking out, the fire was estimated at about 20 acres, and by early evening it was being estimated at nearly 200 acres, according to Cal Fire. The fire’s size was later reduced following aerial mapping.
As the fire grew Thursday, incident commanders issued a second alarm, summoning additional crews. Water- and retardant-dropping helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft were dispatched to the scene to help battle the fire, which burned in largely inaccessible terrain.
The cause of the blaze was not clear. It erupted amid gusting Santa Ana winds that prompted red flag warnings of critical fire danger across much of the Southland. The warnings will be in place through 8 p.m. Saturday.
Evacuation warnings were issued for a large area stretching from near Malibu Road and Pacific Coast Highway to Leo Carrillo State Beach. An evacuation order was subsequently issued in the more immediate area, including Zuma and Trancas canyons.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department closed Decker Road at Encinal Canyon Road, Kanan Road at Mulholland Highway and Mulholland Highway at Westlake Boulevard.
Topanga Canyon Boulevard remains restricted to residents between Mulholland Highway and PCH, while PCH remains open in both directions.
The 38 youths from Campus Vernon Kilpatrick, a juvenile detention facility, were taken to Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Sylmar, according to the Los Angeles County Probation Department.
Many residents in the area were without power due to Southern California Edison’s precautionary Public Safety Power Shutoff program, designed to cut electricity to lines that could be damaged by high winds and spark brush fires. Power restoration may take up to 8 hours for some residences as lines and equipment must first be inspected for safety.
A power outage began around 3:30 p.m. Thursday in central and western Malibu, according to Matt Myerhoff, the city’s public information officer. Residents had been warned of a potential outage several days before the power was shut off, Myerhoff said
“We are urging residents to monitor emergency information on AM and FM radios, using handheld radios and car radios, because that will work when the power’s out,” he said.
SCE said Saturday that as of 9:20 a.m., over 48,000 customers were without power in Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara, Kern and Tulare counties — including 14,768 in Los Angeles County — due to a PSPS, and another 33,126 were under consideration for a shutoff, including over 7,200 in LA County.
“We know being without power is difficult,” the utility said. “High winds and dry conditions are creating fire weather and Public Safety Power Shutoffs are needed in some areas to reduce wildfire risk and help keep our communities safe.”
Residents were advised to listen to Malibu-based KBUU-FM (99.1) for the latest information on the fire.
The city has coordinated the deployment of cellular-on-wheels mobile sites to restore connectivity, partnered with Caltrans to deploy generators to keep traffic signals operating along PCH, and worked with SCE to establish a community resource center at Bluffs Park. The center has provided outage information, charging stations, and basic supplies.
Red Cross Los Angeles established an emergency shelter for evacuees at Agoura High School.
The Malibu Boys & Girls Club opened a Disaster Relief Center for students and families seeking wellness support or disaster-related services, city officials said. The center is open from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
An animal evacuation center was set up at the Agoura Animal Care Center for pets and small animals while a shelter for large animals was set up at Pierce College Equestrian Center, according to the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management
The Getty Villa was closed to the public on Friday and Saturday “out of an abundance of caution, and to help keep surrounding roads clear for emergency responders,” according to an announcement on social media.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna warned anyone thinking about burglarizing homes in evacuated or blacked out areas to think again.
“If you think you are going to come in and take advantage of these poor folks who have been asked to evacuate or who don’t have power, you are going to run into probably deputies who aren’t in uniform and are just out there specifically looking for that challenge,” he said.
Luna said prepositioning of resources in fire-prone areas would continue through at least Saturday evening.