Powerful winds and low humidity raise wildfire risk across California as blaze erupts near Malibu

California is being lashed by powerful winds that are causing humidity levels to drop and raising the risk of wildfires in much of the state. 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 in Malibu. The National Weather Service amended its red flag warning for increased fire danger with a rare “particularly dangerous situation” label. It said Wednesday that parts of Southern California could experience conditions ripe for “extreme and life-threatening” fire behavior. Forecasters also issued red flag warnings from California’s central coast through counties to the north of the San Francisco Bay Area.