LOS ANGELES — Southern California braced for another day of Santa Ana winds as firefighters battled a fire burning in Malibu.

The Bryson fire had burned 200 acres as of Thursday night. It erupted shortly before 5 p.m. and sparked evacuation orders for the Encinal Canyon area near Trancas Canyon. A larger swath of Malibu was under an evacuation warning.

Multiple fixed-wing aircraft and water-dropping helicopters battled the blaze until sunset.

At Camp Pendleton, the Henderson fire burned 1,404 acres Thursday and briefly closed the 5 Freeway.

Friday will be the peak of the Santa Ana event, with wind speeds about 10 mph greater than on Thursday, said meteorologist Mike Wofford with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.

“High wind warnings and strong wind advisories look good for much of Ventura and Los Angeles Counties with peak winds likely in the 50 to 70 mph range through late morning or early afternoon before gradually weakening,” the National Weather Service said in its Friday morning forecast.

Even areas that don’t typically see a lot of wind during the Sana Anas may see wind gusts between 25 and 45 mph Friday, the forecast said.

“Residents need to take these conditions seriously and prepare now,” L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said Thursday. Barger’s 5th District covers fire-prone communities in the Angeles National Forest and the Santa Clarita and Antelope valleys.

Strong winds, low humidity and warm temperatures can contribute to rapid and intense fire spread, leaving residents little time to react, she noted.

“We know how quickly these conditions can turn dangerous,” she added, “and we know that preparation saves lives. I urge every household to treat this warning as a call to act today.”

Mayor Karen Bass said Thursday that Los Angeles fire officials were pre-deploying personnel and resources to potential fire hot spots including the San Fernando Valley, Santa Monica Mountains and Hollywood.

The announcement came amid concerns about continued Santa Ana winds through Saturday. Winds on Thursday drove brush fires in Malibu and Camp Pendleton.

“We are closely monitoring the Bryson fire in Malibu,” Bass said.

Reviews of the Los Angeles Fire Department response to the January 2025 firestorm revealed critical failures to pre-stage resources. In particular, fire officials drew criticism for failing to pre-deploy engines to Pacific Palisades, despite forecasters warning of extreme fire weather conditions.

Thursday’s red flag alert was one step below the rare “particularly dangerous situation” warning that was issued in advance of the Palisades fire. Nonetheless, there was a noted effort to ensure fire equipment and personnel are ready to respond to any potential ignitions in high-fire-hazard zones across the county.

In addition to the pre-deployed L.A. Fire teams, the L.A. County Fire Department has bolstered its on-duty staff by about 100 personnel, and additional firefighting crews have been sent to Southern California by the governor’s Office of Emergency Services.

A red flag warning remains in effect for parts of Los Angeles County and Ventura County through Saturday at 8 p.m.

—Rong-Gong Lin II and Hannah Fry contributed to this report.

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