MALIBU (CNS) - Flames chewed through about 40 acres of brush on a Malibu hillside today, slowly burning upward but posing no immediate threat to any structures.
The fire was reported around 11:30 a.m. in the area of Pacific Coast Highway and Sweetwater Canyon Road, according to the county fire department. No evacuations were ordered.
A pair of water-dropping helicopter crews were initially dispatched to the fire. The blaze went to a second alarm shortly before noon, with fire commanders requesting additional personnel along with two fixed-wing aircraft and another helicopter.
As of about 1 p.m., the fire was about 20 percent contained, and the fire commanders released the fixed-wing aircraft and the helicopters from the firefighting effort.
Winds were light in the area and temperatures were relatively mild in the coastal area.
There were no immediate reports of injuries, and no indication of what sparked the blaze.