Malibu Fire has racing drought, wild Santa Ana winds | Today’s news
(Bloomberg) — At least one firefighter has been injured and hundreds more are trying to contain a wildfire in Malibu before dangerous winds pick up again Friday.
The Bryson Fire in Los Angeles County had burned just 147 acres (59 hectares) as of 10:39 a.m. local time Friday. With more than 7,200 structures at risk and only 17% of the district under control, county officials said at a briefing Friday that they are preparing a major response before the multi-day Santa Ana storm causes conditions to deteriorate further.
Gusts near the trail of the Bryson Fire could reach 60 miles (97 kilometers) per hour by Friday afternoon, according to the U.S. National Weather Service. At higher elevations over the San Gabriel Mountains, winds can reach speeds of up to 80 mph.
“This morning through this afternoon is our most critical period during this red flag event,” said Kevin McGowan, director of the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management. “High winds and very dry conditions will continue to cause the fire to begin to spread rapidly.”
The Bryson Fire is located within 10 miles of large burn scars left in recent years. The fast-moving Franklin Fire destroyed 20 structures around Malibu just before Christmas 2024. A few weeks later, in early January 2025, the devastating Eaton and Palisades fires killed 31 people and caused billions in damage in the region.
Although Santa Ana winds have also fueled those fires, Weather Service forecaster Rich Thompson said current fire conditions in Southern California are not nearly as severe. Some areas have recently received rain, which may limit the fire’s spread.
Before the 2025 fires, “it didn’t rain for months,” Thompson said. “It’s not the same level at all, although it’s still very concerning.”
As of Friday morning, more than 400 personnel were deployed to fight the fire in Malibu. One of them was taken to a hospital with minor injuries, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said.
The largest fire currently active in Southern California is the Henderson Fire in San Diego County, near Camp Pendleton. By noon Friday, nearly 2,100 acres had burned. According to the California Department of Transportation, the fire required the closure of the northbound lanes of Interstate 5 in Oceanside.
In an effort to prevent new fires, PG&E Corp. and Southern California’s Edison International — two of California’s largest electricity providers — shut down circuits serving tens of thousands of customers this week. Edison shut off power to about 132,000 customers as of 12:25 p.m. local time.
Edison said restoration work could begin as early as Saturday.
–With assistance from Sarah Gray, Julia Amann and Brian Eckhouse.
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