Authorities in Southern California issued mandatory evacuation orders for hundreds of homes overnight after a brush fire in Santa Paula exploded to cover more than 25,000 acres. Fire officials warned that fierce winds could send the flames into residential areas and make the blaze especially dangerous. Residents reported widespread power outages as the rapidly spreading fire approached the city of Ventura, where fire officials ordered nearly 8,000 residents out of the area. Dramatic footage showed the flames on both sides of Highway 150, and local media reported that a transmission line was destroyed.
