A blaze in Malibu known as the Bryson Fire has triggered evacuations in the famed Southern California beach community, and the weather will provide little relief over the weekend.
Critical fire conditions are expected to persist as a threatening combination of strong Santa Ana winds, low humidity and dry vegetation will make it more difficult to contain wildfires in the region, Los Angeles County officials said Friday.
Firefighters worked overnight to suppress the wildfire that broke out late Thursday afternoon in western Malibu, managing to contain 17% of the Bryson Fire as of Friday morning, said Lindsey P. Horvath, supervisor of the Los Angeles County’s third district.
“It is still red flag alert,” Horvath said in a press conference Friday morning, adding that such conditions are expected to last at least until Saturday night. “Be vigilant and be prepared.”
The Bryson Fire began just before 5 p.m. on Thursday on Encinal Canyon Road’s rugged terrain in the Santa Monica Mountains. The fire is currently at 146 acres, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said Friday.
No fatalities and no structure losses or damages have been reported as of Friday morning. Marrone said he estimates that more than a hundred structures in the general area of the Bryson Fire are threatened.
“If the winds kick up later this afternoon, and we were to lose containment of the fire, a larger area could be affected and under threat,” Marrone said.
Evacuation orders for the Encinal, Trancas and Zuna Canyon areas have been issued, meaning residents must leave immediately as they face an immediate threat to life and property because of the Bryson Fire.
So far, the Red Cross has set up one emergency shelter at Agoura High School for evacuees who need a place to stay.
As of early Friday afternoon, a dozen evacuation warnings have been issued in the immediate areas surrounding the Encinal, Trancas and Zuna canyons — alerting residents to prepare to leave their homes at a moment’s notice.
At least one firefighter sustained minor injuries from working to contain the fire Thursday night. That person was transported to a hospital and is expected to recover, Marrone said.
Over 400 firefighters are continuing to work on containing the Bryson Fire assigned to this incident alongside more than 75 “ground and aerial resources committed,” Marrone said.
Winds from up to 35 mph are expected to heighten fire weather threats in the area, according to the National Weather Service, with gusts forecast to reach up to 70 mph.
These conditions could potentially help spark new fires or allow existing fires to rapidly spread. The risk for fires will be highest on Friday for western Los Angeles County, Ventura County and southeastern Santa Barbara County.
“As wildfires continue to burn faster and push deeper into our built environment, I urge residents to continue to monitor high-risk weather conditions,” Marrone said.
Hours before the Bryson Fire began Thursday, another wildfire erupted in the city of Azusa, located north of Los Angeles.
The Peak Fire burned 43 acres on Thursday and briefly prompted evacuation orders for a neighborhood in the foothills of the San Gabriel mountains. Forward progress on the blaze had been stopped by Thursday night after firefighter managed to contain 41% of it.