MOORPARK, Calif. — Hundreds of residents fled forest fire Ventura County of more than 8,800 acres Wednesday as Southern California was hit by powerful winds as forecasters warned of the potential for “extreme and life-threatening” fires.

Rapid expansion mountain fire triggered evacuation orders for several communities in an agricultural area near Moorpark and Santa Paula.

Gus Garcia, a rancher south of the fire, said he was waiting to see if conditions changed to decide whether to evacuate his horses and cattle. Around 12:30 p.m., his animals were still safe and he was trying to stay out of the way while others took their livestock out.

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

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-spreading fire.”

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

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

The 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, 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.

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

Meanwhile, winds also fueled a fast-moving wildfire near multimillion-dollar properties along the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. 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 50-acre Broad Fire. It was contained at 15% around 12:30 p.m. with a halt to progression. Firefighters said two structures burned.

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

The National Weather Service office in Los Angeles has amended its red flag warning for increased fire danger with a rare “particularly hazardous 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 watch out for fast-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 shows where fires are burning in California and what percentage of them are contained. Click on any fire icon to see more details about the wildfire in that area.

“Residents 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 have been closed as a precaution and fire departments have positioned resources in fire-prone areas. .

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

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 begun turning off equipment during high winds and extreme fire risks, 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.