1 Dead, 2 Injured in 4-Acre Malibu Fire

MALIBU, CA — One person died and two others were seriously injured in a second-alarm fire early Sunday morning in Malibu.

The blaze began as a house fire but spread to surrounding brush and scorching nearly four acres, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The blaze was reported at 3:34 a.m. in the 2100 block of Rambla Pacifico, according to Los Angeles County Fire Department Dispatcher Nicole Larios. Hundreds of firefighters were called to battle the blaze before it could spread to other homes.

By about 5:30 a.m. officials reported firefighters had stopped forward progress of the flames and had 20 percent surrounded by a line of cleared vegetation.

The flames spread to surrounding brush and a half-acre grew to about 4 acres, Larios said. At the height of the fire, more than 200 firefighters were on scene.

The flames moved downhill, pushed by northeast winds of 10-15 mph and threatened some nearby structures, fire officials said. Residents were urged to prepare for potential evacuations that turned out not to be needed.

The relative humidity was about 15%, according to the National Weather Service and the winds were not likely to get stronger than 20 mph.

Authorities did not say how the fatality and injuries occurred.

Firefighters reached 100 percent containment of the fire at 5:49 a.m., according to a Los Angeles County Fire Department dispatcher

City News Service and Patch Staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.