Bryson Fire near Malibu: 146 acres, 5% contained; evacuation orders remain

MALIBU, Calif. — A wind-driven brush fire in the Santa Monica Mountains above Malibu, California, forced evacuation orders Thursday night as Santa Ana winds blew across Los Angeles County's coastal ranges. By 11:33 p.m., Incident Command had mapped the Bryson Fire at 146.2 acres and reported it 5% contained, after an earlier estimate of about 200 acres.

The Bryson Fire was reported at about 4:40 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15, near Encinal Canyon Road and Mulholland Highway. That is roughly 8 miles south of Thousand Oaks and close to the Ventura County line. CAL FIRE listed it at about 200 acres and 0% contained as of 9:30 p.m. Later aerial mapping put it at 146.2 acres with 5% containment at 11:33 p.m., according to Incident Command. Early acreage figures often change once a fire is mapped from the air.

How fast it grew

The fire was first reported at about 2 acres. By 5:42 p.m. it had reached about 35 acres, and firefighters reported embers starting new spot fires ahead of the main front. CAL FIRE's estimates then rose to 40, 80 and about 100 acres, and to about 200 acres by 9:30 p.m., before the 11:33 p.m. mapping of 146.2 acres. Ventura County officials said the wind was pushing the fire south, toward the coast. Fire officials' main concern was keeping the fire north of Encinal Canyon Road, one of the few natural firebreaks in the area; a jump across it could push flames down Zuma and Trancas canyons toward the coast.

Evacuation orders and warnings

Evacuation orders (leave now): zones KAN-U017 and SYC-U016-A.

Evacuation warnings (be ready to leave): zones CRN-U019, LBO-U018, LEO-U015, MAL-C113, MAL-C114, MCR-U021, MLK-U020, SYC-U016, VST-U046 and WLV-C201, including parts of Malibu.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said people under an order must leave immediately. People under a warning should get ready to go. Anyone who needs extra time, including people with pets or livestock, should leave now. To find your zone, look up your address on the Genasys Protect evacuation map.

Zone MCR-U021 was later split: MCR-U021-A, closest to the fire, stays under a warning; MCR-U021-B was cleared.

Shelters: officials opened an evacuation shelter at Agoura High School, 28545 W. Driver Ave., Agoura Hills. Animals can go to the Agoura Animal Care Center.

The Los Angeles County Probation Department said it safely evacuated 38 youths from Camp Kilpatrick, near the fire. Pacific Coast Highway remained open in both directions as of 10:34 p.m. Malibu City Hall will be closed Friday, Oct. 16; the city's hotline is (310) 345-2489, ext. 188.

Firefighting response

The Los Angeles County Fire Department said more than 300 personnel are assigned to the fire. They are backed by two Super Scooper aircraft and other aircraft that can fly at night. Earlier in the evening, the Super Scoopers scooped water from the ocean for repeated drops on the fire.

Officials said no structures had been lost and no injuries had been reported as of Thursday night. The cause is under investigation.

Weather and power shutoffs

The National Weather Service has a Red Flag Warning for the area until 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, and a High Wind Warning until 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16. Forecasters expected winds to increase significantly overnight, with gusts of 50 to 60 mph possible, along with low humidity (14% at 7:30 p.m.) and temperatures near 80 degrees.

Southern California Edison had already shut off power to parts of central and western Malibu, according to city officials. The utility cuts power on purpose during high fire danger. Residents were urged to keep phones charged, keep car gas tanks full and have go-bags ready in case more evacuations are ordered.

Ventura County officials said the fire posed no threat to county residents as of Thursday night, though smoke was visible across the Conejo Valley.

Official sources to follow

• CAL FIRE: Bryson Fire incident page
• Los Angeles County Fire Department
• LA County emergency information, shelters and road closures
• City of Malibu
• Genasys Protect evacuation zones

This is a developing story and will be updated as officials release new information. The acreage, containment and perimeter map in the boxes on this page refresh automatically from National Interagency Fire Center data, which can lag the latest Incident Command figures quoted in the text.