Firefighters battled a brush 50-acre brush fire that ignited near homes on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu Wednesday morning. The blaze had burned about 5 acres when it was first reported in the

Southern California firefighters working to contain a wildfire that has destroyed 132 structures in two days could be assisted by a forecast of fierce wind gusts easing early Friday, officials said. The Mountain Fire started Wednesday morning in Ventura County and had grown to 32 square miles (about 83 square kilometers) with 5% contained Thursday night.