#BrysonFire is the Santa Monica Mountains wildfire that broke out late in the afternoon of Thursday, October 15, 2026, in the Encinal Canyon area west of Malibu, California, and that grew rapidly overnight under fierce Santa Ana winds and a Red Flag Warning. By the morning of Friday, October 16, Cal Fire reported the fire at roughly 147 acres with 17% containment, while Newsweek, citing Cal Fire, said the footprint had reached closer to 200 acres after burning through 102 acres in just two hours overnight. Mandatory evacuations covered Encinal Canyon; evacuation warnings extended to Zuma Beach and surrounding neighbourhoods, and Southern California Edison ran public-safety power shutoffs across central and western Malibu.
Quick Facts
- Start: late afternoon, Thursday, October 15, 2026
- Location: Encinal Canyon area, Santa Monica Mountains, west of Malibu, Los Angeles County, California
- Size (October 16): ~147 acres (Cal Fire morning update); up to ~200 acres (Newsweek, citing Cal Fire)
- Containment: 17% (Friday morning, October 16)
- Mandatory evacuations: Encinal Canyon area near Trancas Canyon
- Evacuation warnings: Zuma Beach and surrounding neighbourhoods
- Shelter: Red Cross shelter at Agoura High School
- Power: public-safety shutoffs across parts of central and western Malibu
- Weather: Red Flag and High Wind Warnings for much of Los Angeles County through 8 p.m. Saturday, October 17
- Structures destroyed / injuries (as of October 16 morning): none reported
- Cause: under investigation
What Happened
The Bryson Fire ignited late Thursday afternoon in Encinal Canyon, a rural canyon west of the Pacific Coast Highway in the Santa Monica Mountains. Cal Fire crews, Los Angeles County Fire and air tankers responded as Santa Ana winds pushed the flames quickly through brush. Newsweek, citing Cal Fire, reported the fire grew by 102 acres in two hours Thursday night, with high dry winds and low humidity sustaining the spread. By the morning of October 16 the fire footprint was reported at roughly 147 to 200 acres and 17% contained.
Evacuations
Los Angeles County Fire issued mandatory evacuation orders for the Encinal Canyon area near Trancas Canyon, with evacuation warnings extending to Zuma Beach and other nearby neighbourhoods. The Red Cross opened a shelter at Agoura High School. Officials had not given a timeline for full containment or for residents to return home.
Power shutoffs
Southern California Edison ran public-safety power shutoffs across parts of central and western Malibu, a routine high-wind-event measure in Southern California intended to reduce the risk of utility-caused ignitions. The shutoffs added to the pressure on residents already managing evacuation preparations.
Social Media & Spread
#BrysonFire trended on X in Southern California accounts from Thursday evening into Friday, driven by Cal Fire, LA County Fire and local TV station posts. A FOX LA segment framed the fire against Santa Ana winds and the Red Flag Warning; TheWrap and KTLA focused on the evacuation footprint and Zuma Beach warning. LAist’s reporting emphasised the fast initial growth and compared the setup — high wind, low humidity, dry fuels — with the pattern that preceded the 2025 Palisades and Eaton fires in Los Angeles County earlier in the year.
Variations & Related Tags
- Aliases: MalibuFire2026, EncinalCanyonFire, BrysonFire2026
- Related California fire pages: #CaliforniaFires2019, #LAFires2025, #WoolseyFire, #CampFire
- Context: #WildfireSeasonIntensification
Sources
- https://www.foxla.com/news/malibu-bryson-fire-santa-ana-winds-power-shutoffs
- https://www.thewrap.com/culture-lifestyle/culture/malibu-bryson-fire-sparks-evacuation-orders/
- https://jang.com.pk/en/74672-malibu-wildfire-surges-to-200-acres-overnight-evacuations-ordered-amid-fierce-santa-ana-winds-news
- https://www.nbcpalmsprings.com/ca-us-and-world/2026/10/16/bryson-fire-near-malibu-burns-147-acres-reaches-17-containment
- https://laist.com/news/climate-environment/bryson-fire-malibu-oct-2026
- https://newsweek.com/bryson-fire-spreads-in-malibu-as-evacuation-orders-are-issued-what-we-know-12576764
- https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/malibu-brush-fire-red-flag-warning/3956901/