California wildfire doubles in size SOME 4000 homes are being threatened by a raging Californian wildfire which has nearly doubled in size and closed a highway. The Springs Fire, near Malibu, 65km west of Los Angeles, grew to 7,284 hectares on Friday, although it was now 20 per cent contained, compared to 10 per cent at the start of the day. California typically has fires later in the year, but strong winds and temperatures in the 30s (Celsius) have triggered a series of brushfires this week - including a new one in Glendale, just outside Los Angeles on Friday. In the fire near Malibu, nearly 1000 firefighters battled wind-fanned flames that have ripped through tinder-dry brush, threatening some 4000 homes during the day, according to the Ventura County Fire Department (VCFD). Some celebrities, including actors Jamie Foxx and Tom Selleck, live near the evacuation area, according to KTLA 5 television. The fire started on Thursday, forcing the closure of a section of the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) and a university campus, and reaching a US Navy facility on the coast, reports said. By Friday, at least 15 homes had been damaged but none destroyed, the VCFD said on its Twitter feed. More than 950 firefighters were battling the blaze, with more expected to arrive from neighbouring counties and from Los Angeles. The VCFD announced the reopening of the scenic coastal highway at the end of the afternoon, while warning that other roads could remain closed, and urging motorists to be careful. The operation was complicated after winds did an about-turn and pushed the fire back north during the day, forcing further evacuations. Eight helicopters and six planes were dropping water and fire retardant onto blazing hillsides to protect homes in the area. Another blaze erupted on Friday in Glendale, a residential suburb just 16km north of Los Angeles, burning some 30 hectares of brush and forcing some local evacuations and the closure a nearby freeway.