California Wildfires Force Thousands to Evacuate; Five Dead
- Blazes erupt north of San Francisco, near Los Angeles, Malibu
- PG&E, Edison shares plunge as state investigates causes
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Fanned by hot, dry winds, wildfires north of San Francisco and near Los Angeles have forced the evacuation of more than 150,000 people in the state, including in Malibu, the coastal enclave of the rich and famous.
The fires cover about 90,000 acres overall and threaten to destroy tens of thousands of structures, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. More than 50,000 homes and business have lost power, and shares of the state’s two biggest utilities, PG&E Corp. and Edison International, plummeted. Five people were killed in the northern fire, according to local officials.