Southern California brush fire threatens homes, prompts evacuations

(Reuters) - A brush fire outside Los Angeles was threatening thousands of homes and has prompted mandatory evacuation of local residents, authorities said on Saturday.

The 200-acre brush fire in Calabasas, a small Los Angeles County city some 10 miles inland from the Pacific Ocean and about halfway between the Malibu and Santa Monica, was reportedly triggered when a vehicle hit a utility pole, downing power lines.

Click through images from the brush fire:

Several homes were damaged, fire officials said, and mandatory evacuations were ordered for some Calabasas residents as about 250 firefighters battled to contain the blaze. Helicopters and air tankers were also brought in to make water drops.

CNN quoted Calabasas city manager Tony Coroalles as saying that 3,000 homes, or about 5,000 people, had been evacuated.

(Reporting by Chris Michaud)