CNN Los Angeles: At least seven fires burned October 21, 2007 near Malibu, the beach community that is home to dozens of celebrities. Fires shut down the Malibu section of the Pacific Coast Highway.
Los Angeles County Fire Chief P. Michael Freeman said five single family home and two commercial buildings -- a glass company and Malibu Presbyterian Church -- were destroyed in Malibu. Nine single family homes and five commercial buildings had been damaged, he said of the blaze that consumed 1,200 acres.
The department said about 200 homes in the Malibu area were evacuated.
Helicopters that were dumping water on the fires would be grounded at dusk, said Freeman. He said fire fighters were in a "good position" to fight the blaze with engine companies after dark.
Freeman said the Malibu area fire began around 4:50 a.m. (7:50 a.m. ET) Sunday. As of 5 p.m. (8 p.m. ET) the Malibu fire was not under control, he said. The cause is still under investigation but several downed power lines were found in the area, he said. Freeman's "best projection" is that the fire will last at least two days.
"Thousands of homes are going to be threatened at one time or another based on the movement of the fire," said Freeman. Malibu Mayor Pro Tem Pamela Conley Ulich said earlier Sunday, "We are at the mercy of the wind."
Hot weather and Santa Ana winds marked the height of traditional wildfire season this weekend, after one of the driest years on record. Watch the fires rage »
Noting there have not been any reported injuries in Malibu, Freeman urged residents not to return to their homes to retrieve anything.
"We're all scared to death and we have nowhere to go," Susan Nuttall, 51, told The Associated Press as she sat in her black Mercedes in a cul-de-sac after fleeing her condominium near the Pepperdine campus. She was wearing a bathrobe and holding her Chihuahua. View images of the destruction »
Flames consumed Malibu's landmark Castle Kashan, a fortress-like hilltop home with turrets and arched windows.
Chunks of brick fell from the exterior of the burning structure overlooking the coast. The house was not directly in the fire's path, but powerful winds carried embers to the building, fire inspector Rick Dominguez said. Castle Kashan is owned by Lilly Lawrence, a Malibu philanthropist.
Daniel Collins, who has been staying at Castle Kashan for a few months, said he woke to thick smoke and "flames licking the windows."
"It was pretty intense," he told CNN. "And we were probably in this house for an hour or so watching this and finally they got us out of there. By the time we left, the castle was engulfed in flames."
Collins said he felt safe because there were many firefighters. Once he was helped from the castle, Collins rushed to see if his neighbors were safe and they were, he said.
Meanwhile, students at Pepperdine's Malibu campus were told to gather at Firestone Field House, while faculty and staff were gathering at Tyler Campus Center, campus police told CNN.
School spokesman Rick Gibson said school authorities went door-to-door clearing out the dorms. However, he said the school does not believe students and faculty are in any danger.
Los Angeles Fire Inspector Sam Padilla said the department was encouraging evacuations at the school because aerial views of the fires, fanned by winds, showed some buildings on the campus were threatened.
Power was also knocked out on the campus, he said.
The fire department as of 2 p.m. (5 p.m. ET) listed the following areas as being under mandatory evacuation orders: Montenedo, Malibu Road, Malibu Colony, Pepperdine, Malibu Crest, Serra Retreat and Big Rock.
The residential area Malibu Crest and vacation area Sierra Retreat also were evacuated Sunday, Padilla said.
Evacuation centers were set up at Zuma Beach and authorities had aerial teams serving as lookouts, and helicopters and fire engines to areas as they became threatened, Dominguez said.