Hot, windy weather stokes brush fires in Southern California; power turned off for many

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Several brush fires were burning in Southern California on Friday, stoked by hot, windy weather that's led to some evacuations and tens of thousands of people in the state waking up in the dark after their electricity was turned off.A blaze in Malibu, a coastal town west of Los Angeles, prompted evacuation orders and warnings for a large swathe of the Santa Monica Mountains. A large cloud of black smoke over the hilltops could be seen on nearby cameras and miles away.Winds from 20 mph to 35 mph (32 kph to 56 kph) were expected Friday, with gusts forecast to reach 50 mph up to 70 mph (80 kph to 112 kph) in some areas, the National Weather Service said.With humidity levels dropping, “this will favor a critical fire weather threat,” the service said early Friday.More than 285 firefighters battled the Bryson Fire overnight, which was at 200 acres (80 hectares) on Friday. It had threatened a Los Angeles County juvenile detention and rehabilitative facility, which was ev