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Fire crews battled back a massive wildfire on Friday after it took over 15 hours to contain.
The Cal Fire says it began burning near the town of Malibu on Thursday and engulfed more than 50,000 acres. Some of the fire grew to more than 25 square miles and reached the edge of the Ventura County coast.
As the fire burned out of the mountains into the desert, the cause of the fire remains unclear.
At least 30 power lines have been downed in the fire due to the flames, and about 1,500 homes and vehicles have been evacuated.
California firefighters battle a fire near Malibu, southern California, on Friday, May 23, 2020.
It has since been pushed further out into the surrounding area.
The Red Cross issued a statement saying the evacuation order was lifted “to allow those affected by the wildfire to move to safe locations.”
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but initial reports from the local fire department and the National Weather Service show a strong, windswept wind in the area that is being blamed for the spread of the fire.
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The winds have pushed the blaze toward the Santa Clarita Valley.
Firefighters used water cannons, bulldozers and helicopters and fire engines to battle the flames. At the height of the blaze on Friday morning, the fire was 70 percent contained.
By Friday night, authorities were still battling a fire at the southern end of the blaze.
A fire at the southern end of the blaze on Friday, May 23, 2020. Photo: AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli
Firefighters work to contain the blaze. Photo: AP Photo/Richard Vogel
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