Wind-fueled wildfire breaks out in Malibu as power cut to thousands of homes

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A wind-fueled brushfire erupted in western Malibu Thursday afternoon, rapidly spreading to 35 acres and prompting evacuation warnings as firefighters rushed to contain the flames.

Dubbed the Bryson Fire, the blaze broke out around 4:40 p.m. near Mulholland Highway and Encinal Canyon Road, close to Camp Kilpatrick, according to fire radio traffic.

The fire grew from roughly a half-acre to five acres in about 15 minutes as it burned through medium brush and pushed south.

Evacuation warnings were issued for zones KAN-U017, LEO-U015 and SYC-U016.

Residents in the affected areas should monitor official alerts and prepare to leave if conditions worsen.

No structures were immediately threatened, according to initial reports from crews at the scene.

The fire broke out as power was shut off in central and western Malibu around 4 p.m., affecting traffic signals in the area.

According to SCE’s website, nearly 39,000 customers in Los Angeles County had their power cut due to safety concerns as of Thursday afternoon, and 76,000 others in the county were being considered for possible power shutoffs. More than 24,000 customers are without power across neighboring Ventura County.

Fire crews dispatched additional ground and aerial resources as the blaze spread.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

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