{
  "id": 14977617,
  "title": "Brush fires spark in Southern California, prompting evacuation orders",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/brush-fires-spark-in-southern-california-prompting-evacuation-orders",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-16T15:11:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Global News",
    "slug": "global-news",
    "url": "https://globalnews.ca/news/12105155/southern-california-brush-fires-evacuation-orders/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Brush fires were raging across Southern California on Friday, driven by hot, windy conditions that prompted evacuations and left tens of thousands without power as they slept in the dark. A fire in Malibu, a coastal city west of Los Angeles, triggered evacuation orders and warnings for a large area of the Santa Monica Mountains. Smoke from the blaze could be seen on nearby cameras miles away. Winds ranging from 32 to 56 kph, with gusts up to 80 to 112 kph, were forecast for Friday, increasing the risk of more wildfires. Humidity levels were falling, exacerbating the fire threat. More than 285 firefighters were battling the Bryson Fire, which had consumed 200 acres by Friday and had threatened a Los Angeles County juvenile detention facility. Fire officials planned to provide an update in the morning. Two other fires ignited on Thursday afternoon sparked evacuation orders in Azusa and Camp Pendleton. Power outages affected over 170,000 customers across northern, central, and southern California. Authorities have previously linked power equipment to some of California's worst wildfires, leading utilities to shut off electricity proactively during dry, windy weather. Expected fire risks will persist through Saturday. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass ordered the fire department to mobilize resources ahead of the forecasted winds, requesting help from the state's office of emergency services. Meteorologist Rose Schoenfeld from the National Weather Service warned of a widespread event of elevated fire weather, advising the entire SoCal region to stay alert. Santa Ana winds, dry, warm, and gusty northeast winds that blow from the inland areas of Southern California towards the coast and offshore, were forecast to reach 32 to 64 kph, with gusts of 80 to 113 kph in the San Gabriel and Santa Susana mountains. Elevated but temporary critical fire weather conditions were also predicted for parts of the Santa Lucia mountains in San Luis Obispo County. In Azusa, a fire burned 40 acres and prompted temporary evacuations of a neighborhood in the San Gabriel mountains' foothills. In Camp Pendleton, a wind-driven fire threatened buildings, resulting in evacuation orders that were lifted later in the day. Similarly, in Northern California, communities in the Sierra Nevada and its foothills faced strong winds, high temperatures, and low humidity as the weather service issued a red flag warning for parts of central and Northern California through Friday morning. Such warnings indicate a heightened risk of wildfires. Pacific Gas and Electric Company reported that power outages could persist through Saturday afternoon for customers in the Central Coast and upper Sierra Nevada regions. The Santa Ana winds, which are not as intense as during past severe events, were expected to be less powerful than during the 2025 Palisades Fire. That blaze, fueled by Santa Ana winds, ravaged a Los Angeles neighborhood, killing 12 people and destroying mansions with ocean views. Authorities claimed the Palisades Fire was the result of a fire intentionally set by a 29-year-old man. Another simultaneous fire in Altadena, Los Angeles County, killed 19 people and destroyed over 9,400 homes and businesses, ignited by sparks from an idle transmission tower owned by Southern California Edison.",
  "summary": "Firefighters worked to contain two other fires that had sparked Thursday and triggered evacuation orders in the city of Azusa, north of LA, and Camp Pendleton, near San Diego.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "Hot, windy weather stoke brush fires spark in Southern California, power turned off for many",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/hot-windy-weather-stoke-brush-fires-spark-in-southern-california",
        "published": "2026-10-16T11:50:25.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Guardian US",
        "title": "California brush fires force evacuations and tens of thousands of power shutoffs",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/california-brush-fires-force-evacuations-and-tens-of-thousands-of",
        "published": "2026-10-16T13:31:18.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}