Wildfires rage across S. California, Malibu

MALIBU, Calif. -- On a normal day, the rich and famous pull into the Malibu Colony Plaza under blue skies to buy their groceries.

But on Sunday, the shiny BMWs and Cadillacs were absent, replaced by the burned-out shell of an unidentifiable car, flames on the landscaped lawns and embers sparking fires in palm trees.

The blaze was among a cluster of wildfires that powerful Santa Ana winds fanned across Southern California on Sunday, killing one person in San Diego County and destroying several homes and a church in star-studded Malibu.

The fire was among at least eight blazes stretching from north of Los Angeles to San Diego as hot weather and strong winds marked the height of the traditional wildfire season.

The fire responsible for the death and eight injuries burned about 2,500 acres near a highway. A second charred about 3,000 acres in northern San Diego County and was threatening homes near Witch Creek, said Roxanne Provaznik, a spokeswoman for the California Department of Forestry.

To the north in Malibu, about 500 firefighters worked to protect about 200 homes in several upscale communities nestled in the hills, officials said.

The blaze, which started in Malibu Canyon, charred more than 1,100 acres and destroyed a church and several homes, one of them a landmark castle. No residents or firefighters were injured, Los Angeles County Fire Chief P. Michael Freeman said.

The winds carried embers across the Pacific Coast Highway, closing the popular road and setting fire to cars and trees in the parking lot of the Malibu Colony Plaza, where a supermarket, drug store and other shops were damaged.

The fire is expected to burn for another two to three days, he said. Until the blaze is extinguished, "there will literally be thousands of homes that will be threatened at one time or another," he said.

Fire crews early Sunday found downed power lines, which may have started the fire, Capt. Mike Brown said.

TV footage showed several buildings in flames in the area, including clusters of beach-side homes. In all, three homes and two commercial buildings had been confirmed lost throughout the Malibu area, Freeman said. Nine more homes were damaged, he said.

Flames also consumed the landmark Castle Kashan, a stately fortress-like home with turrets and arched windows, as about a dozen residents watched from across a street. Chunks of brick fell from the exterior of the burning building overlooking the coast.

Erratic wind gusts hampered efforts to drop water from aircraft and pushed flames toward HRL Laboratories, a research and engineering facility jointly owned by Boeing Co. and General Motors Corp. about a mile north of Pepperdine University. One outbuilding caught fire, Boeing spokeswoman Diana Ball said.

Flames engulfed Malibu Presbyterian Church, which had been evacuated, said youth pastor Eric Smith. "That's the really good news, that everyone's out and safe," Smith said.

Faculty and staff at the 830-acre Pepperdine campus had been urged to evacuate in the morning, and students were instructed to gather in the school's cafeteria and basketball arena.

But by early afternoon, the campus was "secure," Freeman said. Flames were no longer visible in the hills around the school, and power to the campus had been restored, Pepperdine spokesman Jerry Derloshon said.

About 200 homes had been evacuated in the communities of Malibu Colony, Puerco Canyon, Monte Nido and Sweetwater Canyon, Brown said.

To the north, fire officials worked to protect Piru, a Ventura County town of 1,200 people across a small lake from a blaze. A condor preserve was also potentially threatened.

Wildfires had been widely expected in Southern California during the weekend as the Santa Ana winds made their arrival from the desert.

Malibu, home to about 13,000 people, including many celebrities, stretches along 27 miles of Pacific coastline. Last January, a wildfire driven by Santa Ana winds destroyed the home of actress Suzanne Somers and three other multimillion-dollar residences.

The community also is home to about 25 rehabilitation facilities, including Promises Residential Treatment Center, whose guests have included Britney Spears, Ben Affleck, Charlie Sheen, Diana Ross and Matthew Perry.

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Associated Press writers Andrew Dalton, Gary Gentile and Jacob Adelman in Los Angeles contributed to this report.