Weather 
MALIBU, Calif. () — As most of Southern California sits under a red flag warning, a brush fire broke out Monday night in Malibu Canyon, spreading rapidly on hillsides a few miles from Pepperdine University.
The fire was reported just before 11 p.m. and was initially estimated at just about 10 acres. In just about an hour, it was estimated to have grown to more than 100 acres.
A high volume of dry brush in the area and strong Santa Ana winds led to the potential for the blaze to continue to spread rapidly.
As most of Southern California sits under a red flag warning, a brush fire broke out Monday night in Malibu, spreading rapidly on hillsides less than a mile from Pepperdine University.
Evacuations were ordered in the area east of Malibu Canyon Road and south of Piuma Road as well as the Serra Retreat, a Catholic conference center perched on 26 acres of hilltop land.
By 1 a.m. it appeared the flames had reached the retreat but specific damage to buildings was difficult to observe at night under heavy smoke cover.
The fire had also jumped Malibu Canyon Road.
The wildfire was not immediately encroaching on Pepperdine but the university was reporting power outages on campus. Students were being told they could stay on campus but should be prepared to leave if necessary.
“The fire is not currently threatening the campus, but we are monitoring it closely and (are) in contact with emergency officials,” Pepperdine posted on X.
It appeared the flames were blowing south in the direction of Santa Monica.
Pacific Coast Highway was closed from Carbon Canyon to Corral Canyon.
Details on evacuation areas, road closures, animal shelters and other emergency issues are available from Los Angeles County here.
There were no immediate reports of injuries. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
A third alarm was declared as firefighting agencies dispatched multiple aircraft and engine crews.
Strong Santa Ana winds returned to Southern California on Monday and a red-flag warning was in place through Wednesday night. The winds are expected to grow stronger on Tuesday.
Red flag warning issued for Southern California
Communities like Porter Ranch that are prone to strong gusts are on alert for fire danger as the Santa Ana winds pick up this week.
DEVELOPING: This story will be updated.
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