Southern California is bracing for another day of Santa Ana winds as firefighters battle a blaze in Malibu.
As of Thursday evening, the Bryson Fire had burned 200 acres. The volcano erupted shortly before 5 p.m., triggering evacuation orders in the Encinal Canyon area near Trancas Canyon. Evacuation warnings were issued for large areas of Malibu.
Multiple fixed-wing aircraft and water-dropping helicopters battled the blaze until sunset.
The Camp Pendleton fire burned 1,404 acres Thursday and briefly closed Highway 5.
Mike Wofford, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard, said Friday will be the peak of the Santa Ana event, with wind speeds about 10 mph higher than Thursday.
“High wind warnings and high wind warnings are in place for much of Ventura and Los Angeles counties, with peak wind speeds likely to reach 50 to 70 mph in the late morning or early afternoon before tapering off,” the National Weather Service said in a Friday morning forecast.
Forecasts say even areas that don’t usually experience strong winds during Sana’anas could see gusts of 25 to 45 mph on Friday.
“Residents need to take these situations seriously and prepare immediately,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Katherine Barger said Thursday. Barger’s District 5 covers the Los Angeles National Forest and fire-prone communities in Santa Clarita and the Antelope Valley.
Strong winds, low humidity and warm temperatures can cause fires to spread quickly and violently, leaving residents with little time to react, she noted.
“We know how quickly these situations can become dangerous,” she added, “and we also know that being prepared can save lives. I urge every family to consider this warning as a call to action now.”
Los Angeles fire officials are prepositioning personnel and resources to potential fire hotspots such as the San Fernando Valley, Santa Monica Mountains and Hollywood, Mayor Karen Bass said Thursday.
The news comes amid concerns about lingering Santa Ana winds Saturday. High winds Thursday caused brush fires in Malibu and Camp Pendleton.
“We are closely monitoring the Bryson Fire in Malibu,” Bass said.
A review of the Los Angeles Fire Department’s response to the January 2025 fire revealed a serious breakdown in upfront resources. In particular, fire officials have been criticized for failing to pre-deploy engines in Pacific Palisades despite forecasters warning of extreme fire weather conditions.
Thursday’s red flag alert is one level below the rare “exceptional hazardous conditions” warning issued before the Palisades fire. Nonetheless, significant efforts have been made to ensure fire equipment and personnel are ready to respond to any potential fires in high fire risk areas across the county.
In addition to the pre-deployed Los Angeles Fire Department, the Los Angeles County Fire Department has added approximately 100 on-duty personnel, and the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services has dispatched additional fire personnel to Southern California.
Red flag warnings remain in effect for parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties as of Saturday at 8 p.m.
Rong-Gong Lin II and Hannah Fry contributed to this report.