Southern California firefighters working to contain a wildfire that has destroyed 132 structures in two days could be assisted by a forecast of fierce wind gusts easing.

California was lashed by powerful winds Wednesday that fed one fast-moving wildfire near multimillion-dollar properties along the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu while hundreds of residents fled another fire farther north as forecasters warned of the potential for “extreme and life-threatening” blazes.

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.