Southern California Edison began widespread power cuts to customers Wednesday following a National Weather Service  "Particularly Dangerous Situation Red Flag Warning," due to strong Santa Ana winds.

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.