MOORPARK, California.- Hundreds of residents fled a forest fire in Ventura County of more than 8,800 acres on Wednesday as Southern California was battered by powerful winds as forecasters warned of the possibility of “extreme and life-threatening” fires.

The rapid expansion mountain fire prompted evacuation orders for multiple communities in an agricultural area near Moorpark and Santa Paula.

Gus Garcia, a ranch owner south of the fire, said he is waiting to see if conditions will change before deciding whether to evacuate his horses and livestock. At around 12:30 pm, his animals were still safe and he was trying to stay out of the way while others removed their livestock.

His ranch is surrounded by others with horses and alpacas, and Garcia said his neighbors in the canyon didn’t seem to panic. “The horse community is preparing for this because it’s always a possibility here,” he said.

Andrew Dowd, a county fire spokesman, said he had no details on how many structures had been damaged. “There are several houses that have been affected by the fire,” he said. “It’s a fast-moving fire.”

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office, in a statement posted on social platform X, said several state agencies are “in close communication to coordinate and support needs in Ventura County.”

He mountain fire it was mapped at just under 250 acres around 9:15 a.m. Wednesday, and at 1:30 p.m. it was mapped at 8,885 acres.

Extreme wind conditions grounded fixed-wing aircraft due to “very dangerous” conditions caused by gusts exceeding 61 mph, said weather service meteorologist Bryan Lewis. He said pilots could face turbulence that could bring down a plane, as well as limited visibility due to the huge plume of smoke.

Several people were injured and taken to hospitals, the Ventura County Fire Department said. However, it was not immediately clear how they were injured. The fire crossed State Route 118 and spread to the Camarillo Heights neighborhood, prompting additional evacuations.

Details on evacuation zones and road closures were available at www.vcemergency.com. An information hotline has been established at (805) 465-6650.

Meanwhile, the winds also fueled a rapidly advancing wildfire near multimillion-dollar properties along the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. Los Angeles County Fire Department crews raced to contain the wildfire near Broad Beach in Malibu as authorities closed the famous coastal highway. Residents were urged to shelter in place as planes dropped water on the 50-acre Broad Fire. It was 15% contained around 12:30 pm and progress was stopped. Firefighters said two structures burned.

Tens of thousands of people had their power cut off across the state as a precaution.

The National Weather Service’s Los Angeles office amended its red flag warning for increased fire danger with a rare “particularly dangerous situation” label.

With expected gusts between 50 miles and 100 mph and humidity levels as low as 8%, parts of Southern California could experience conditions ripe for “extreme and life-threatening” fire behavior through Thursday, the weather service said.

Officials in several counties urged residents to be on the lookout for rapidly spreading fires, power outages and downed trees amid the latest round of notorious Santa Ana winds.

A map of fires in California right now:

Our interactive map below tracks where fires are burning in California and what percentage are contained. Click on any fire icon to see more details about the wildfire in that area.

“Those in canyon, mountain and foothill communities should be ready to evacuate at a moment’s notice,” the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management said on X-Day. Some canyon roads were closed as a precaution and Fire departments placed resources in fire-prone areas. .

In Orange County, firefighters said the airport fire, which swept through the area earlier this year due to high winds, was kicking up ash and debris, but no active fires were reported there Wednesday. The gusts hit coastal towns, knocking down tree branches and knocking over large garbage containers.

Southern California Edison also preemptively shut off power to more than 46,000 customers, including more than 12,000 in Los Angeles County on Wednesday. Power outages are being considered for more than 200,000 customers due to the risk, the company said on its website.

Utilities in California began shutting down equipment during high winds and extreme fire danger after a series of massive and deadly wildfires in recent years were sparked by power lines and other infrastructure.

The Broad Fire was burning in the same area where the 2018 Woolsey Fire killed three people and destroyed 1,600 homes. That fire was sparked by Edison crews burning dry grasslands and scorching the Santa Monica Mountains to the Malibu coast.