India, Oct. 16 -- Thousands of California residents faced power outages on Thursday as a fast-growing brush fire in Malibu triggered evacuation orders and strong winds heightened the risk of wildfires across the state.

Separate fires broke out in Azusa, north of Los Angeles, and at Camp Pendleton near San Diego, while utility companies considered further precautionary shutoffs to prevent electrical equipment from sparking fires.

The Malibu blaze grew to more than 100 acres and threatened a Los Angeles County juvenile detention and rehabilitation facility, prompting evacuation orders and warnings across a large stretch of the Santa Monica Mountains. Thick black smoke rose above the hills as firefighters worked to contain the fire.

The N...