Wildfire breaks out in Los Angeles’ Brentwood neighborhood

Firefighters rushed to contain a brush fire that broke out in Brentwood early Wednesday morning, just as the region braced for a round of Santa Ana winds that could create wildfire conditions.

The flames broke out around 2:50 a.m. near Vandergrift Avenue and MacArthur Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Firefighters attacked the fire from the ground and air, preventing it from spreading beyond about 1.5 hectares. Crews stopped its progress within an hour.

Southern California is bracing for a return of high temperatures and powerful Santa Ana winds, prompting a red flag warning as the threat of wildfires intensifies.

Wind gusts could reach 40 to 70 mph in areas particularly prone to strong winds. Conditions are expected to deteriorate on Thursday, with the most powerful gusts forecast for Friday.

Thousands of Malibu residents could face power outages as early as Thursday as Southern California Edison prepares for the conditions.

City officials said Tuesday that the utility plans to shut off power to four circuits serving Malibu — Cuthbert, Galahad, Maguire and Merlin — starting at midnight Oct. 15.

This measure is known as a public safety power shutoff and is designed to reduce the risk of electrical equipment starting wildfires during periods of extreme fire danger.

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