Brush fire breaks out in Brentwood as Santa Ana winds approach

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A small fire broke out Wednesday morning in Brentwood as officials warned of heightened fire danger this week due to Santa Ana winds.

The fire broke out around 2:50 a.m. and burned across about 1.5 acres near the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs West L.A. campus before firefighters stopped its forward progress.

No injuries were reported and no buildings were damaged. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The season’s first Santa Ana wind event will begin Wednesday and ramp up Thursday, bringing significant fire risks to Los Angeles County.

Strong Santa Ana winds, dry conditions and a heat wave will create high fire risk in western Los Angeles beginning Thursday, according to forecasters.

Between Thursday afternoon and Friday afternoon, large swaths of Southern California will see sustained winds of 20 to 40 mph and gusts from 40 to 60 mph, according to Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.

In the windiest mountain locations, gusts could reach 70 mph, he said.

“In this environment where it’s going to be windy but also dry and warm,” with humidity between 5% and 15% in much of the region and high temperatures of 85 to 95 degrees — fire risk will be a major concern, he said. “Adding to that, the plants are very dry.”

In Malibu, officials warned Southern California Edison may shut down power to some neighborhoods to reduce the risk of their lines starting a fire.

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Joseph Serna is a deputy editor on the Fast Break team at the Los Angeles Times and helps oversee daily breaking news coverage.

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