Hundreds flee homes amid slew of wildfires in Southern California

Hundreds of Southern Californians on Wednesday fled their homes after multiple wildfires surged in the state, which were worsened by high winds and dry conditions.

One fire north of Los Angeles prompted multiple evacuation orders in Ventura County. It is not clear how many structures have been damaged from the blaze, but Andrew Dowd, a county fire spokesperson, told the Associated Press that multiple homes have been impacted. 

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, said multiple state agencies are in "close communication to coordinate and support needs in Ventura County.”

"The Mountain Fire is spreading rapidly throughout Ventura County," the governor's office posted on X." Those in impacted areas should heed warnings and evacuation orders from local authorities."

Several people have also been taken to the hospital because of the fire in Ventura county, but it is not clear how they were injured, AP reported.

Another fire is blazing further south, in Los Angeles County. The "Broad Fire" is currently 15% contained at time of publication, but has threatened multimillion-dollar properties along the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu.

Residents impacted by the Malibu fire were ordered to shelter in place so the Los Angeles County Fire Department could dump water on the 50-acre blaze. Forward progress on the fire has been stopped, and two structures were burned. 

Officials in other Southern California counties have urged residents to watch out for fires, downed trees, and power outages due to the infamous "Santa Ana winds." 

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.