Sign up for the Morning Brief email newsletter to get weekday updates from The Weather Channel and our meteorologists.Dozens of Southern California homes burned and thousands of residents were forced to flee as a fast-moving wildfire exploded in Ventura County,

California is being lashed by powerful winds that fed a fast-moving wildfire that destroyed homes and forced hundreds of residents to flee in Ventura County

Residents were urged to shelter in place while aircraft dropped water on the 40-acre Broad Fire. It was 15 percent contained and fire officials said two structures burned.

California was lashed by powerful winds Wednesday that caused humidity levels to drop and prompted forecasters to warn of the potential for “extreme and life-threatening” wildfires. Los Angeles County Fire Department crews scrambled to contain a small blaze fed by erratic gusts that pushed flames through dry brush at a park along Pacific Coast Highway near Pepperdine University in Malibu.

California was lashed by powerful winds Wednesday that fed one fast-moving wildfire near multimillion-dollar properties along the Pacific Coast Highway.