The 146-acre Bryson Fire in Malibu was 74% contained Sunday, with more favorable weather conditions expected to aid firefighters who continued to mop up hot spots.
All evacuation orders were lifted Saturday, when a red flag warning expired and authorities reopened roads, including Topanga Canyon Boulevard.
Residents in two zones were still told to remain alert and be prepared to evacuate if conditions change, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.
The fire broke out shortly before 5 p.m. Thursday near Campus Vernon Kilpatrick on Encinal Canyon Road west of Mulholland Highway, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said Friday morning that no structures had been damaged or destroyed, although 7,221 structures remained threatened as of Friday evening. In Saturday evening’s update, county officials reported no structures lost or damaged and only minor injuries to fire personnel.
The cause of the blaze remained unclear. It erupted amid gusting Santa Ana winds.
There were 715 people assigned to the fire as of Saturday night, along with 60 engines, according to Cal Fire. By Sunday morning that number had been reduced to 200.
As the fire grew Thursday, incident commanders issued a second alarm, summoning additional crews. Water- and retardant-dropping helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft were dispatched to battle the fire, which burned in largely inaccessible terrain.
Evacuation warnings had been issued for a large area stretching from near Malibu Road and Pacific Coast Highway to Leo Carrillo State Beach. An evacuation order was subsequently issued in the more immediate area, including Zuma and Trancas canyons.
Some 38 youths from Campus Vernon Kilpatrick, a juvenile detention facility, were taken to Barry J. Nidorf Juvenile Hall in Sylmar, according to the Los Angeles County Probation Department. The department announced Saturday evening that it had determined conditions were safe for the youths to return to Campus Vernon Kilpatrick, and staff were coordinating their return.
Many residents in the area had been without power due to Southern California Edison’s precautionary Public Safety Power Shutoff program, designed to cut electricity to lines that could be damaged by high winds and spark brush fires. County officials announced Saturday evening that planned power shutoffs were being canceled and utilities were working to restore service to locations where electricity had been interrupted Friday.
SCE said Sunday that all customers who were without electricity due to Public Safety Power Shutoffs over the past few days had been re-energized.
Red Cross Los Angeles established an emergency shelter for evacuees at Agoura High School, but county officials announced Saturday evening that the shelter had closed.
The Malibu Boys & Girls Club opened a Disaster Relief Center for students and families seeking wellness support or disaster-related services, city officials said.
An animal evacuation center was established at the Agoura Animal Care Center for pets and small animals, while a shelter for large animals was established at Pierce College Equestrian Center, according to the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management.
The large-animal shelter at Pierce College closed Saturday evening, and the Agoura Animal Care Center returned to regular operating hours, county officials said.
The Getty Villa was closed to the public Friday and Saturday “out of an abundance of caution, and to help keep surrounding roads clear for emergency responders,” according to an announcement on social media.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna warned anyone thinking about burglarizing homes in evacuated or blacked-out areas to think again.
“If you think you are going to come in and take advantage of these poor folks who have been asked to evacuate or who don’t have power, you are going to run into probably deputies who aren’t in uniform and are just out there specifically looking for that challenge,” he said.
