LOS ANGELES (AP) — California was hit Wednesday by powerful winds that fueled a fast-moving wildfire near multimillion-dollar properties along the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, while hundreds of residents fled another fire further north as forecasters warned of the potential for “extreme and potentially fatal” fires.

Los Angeles County fire crews raced to contain the wildfire near Broad Beach in Malibu as authorities closed the popular beachfront road. Residents were asked to shelter in place for as planes dropped water on the 40-acre Broad Fire. It was 15% contained and firefighters said two structures burned.

Meanwhile, northwest of Los Angeles, the rapidly expanding mountain fire prompted evacuation orders for several communities in an agricultural area near Santa Paula in southern Ventura County. Video footage from KTLA-TV showed horses trotting alongside evacuation vehicles and golf carts as people fled the fire.

Andrew Dowd, a spokesman for the county fire department, said he did not have details on how many structures were damaged.

“Many houses were affected by the fires,” he said. “It’s a fast-moving fire.”

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office, in a statement posted to social platform X, said multiple state agencies were “all in close communication to coordinate and respond to needs in Ventura County.”

Tens of thousands of people were knocked out across the state as a precaution.

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

With gusts forecast 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 remain vigilant amid fast-spreading fires, power outages and downed trees during the latest round of disasters. notorious Santa Ana winds.

“Those living in canyon, mountain and foothill communities should be prepared to evacuate at any time,” the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management said on X. Some canyon roads were closed as a precaution precautionary measures and fire departments have positioned their resources in fire-prone areas. .

The mountain fire was mapped at just under 250 acres around 9:15 a.m. Wednesday, and by 11:30 a.m. it was more than five times larger, or more than 2.3 square miles.

Extreme wind conditions grounded fixed-wing planes due to “very dangerous” conditions caused by gusts exceeding 60 mph, weather service meteorologist Bryan Lewis said. 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, Ventura County firefighters 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.

In south Orange County, firefighters said ash and debris were thrown from the Fire at the airportthat ravaged the area earlier this year due to high winds, but no active fires were reported there Wednesday. Gusts swept through coastal towns, bringing down tree branches and overturning large trash cans.

Forecasters also issued red flag warnings through Thursday from California’s central coast to the San Francisco Bay Area and northern counties.

Sustained winds of 30 mph are expected in many areas, with possible gusts exceeding 55 mph along mountain peaks, according to the San Francisco Weather Service office.

More than 20,000 customers in 17 Northern California counties were without power Wednesday morning after Pacific Gas & Electric cut power to prevent its equipment from starting fires in dry, windy conditions.

Southern California Edison also preemptively cut 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.

California utilities have started turning off equipment in strong winds and extreme fire risk 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, in 2018, the Woolsey Fire killed three people and destroyed 1,600 homes. This fire was started by Edison equipment that burned dry prairies and burned through the Santa Monica Mountains to the Malibu coast.