Thousands of Southern California residents were under evacuation orders and warnings Tuesday as firefighters battled a wind-driven wildfire in Malibu that burned near celebrities' seaside mansions, horse farms and Pepperdine University, where students watched as flames raced down hillsides and the sky turned deep red.

A "minimal number" of homes burned, but the exact amount wasn't immediately known, Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony C. Marrone said. An Associated Press photographer witnessed at least one house and a car engulfed in flames.

More than 8,100 homes and other structures were under threat, including more than 2,000 where residents were ordered to evacuate. Another 6,000 people were warned to be prepared to flee at a moment's notice as Santa Ana winds with gusts reaching 64 km/h made for erratic fire conditions.

Abigail Ballhagen, a junior at Pepperdine, was in the school's library when the power went out late Monday and students began screaming. Later, the school evacuated students to the library from their dorms because of the worsening conditions.

WATCH | Firefighters work in rugged terrain to protect homes: 

Malibu residents face 'scary' fast-moving wildfire

Fire crews are trying to contain a fast-moving wildfire in Malibu, Calif., that has forced many area residents to flee, including students from a local university.

Ballhagen and Bethany Kronlund, who are co-resident assistants, said bringing the other students there amid the fire's smoke and encroaching flames was terrifying.

"Ash was everywhere, embers were everywhere," Kronlund said.

Ballhagen added: "It felt super apocalyptic."

Approximately 3,000 students sheltered-in-place on campus, a few in a library while others, some wearing pajamas, gathered outside on a sports field as fire lit up the night sky. Someone evacuating in an SUV sped past burning palm trees as the tires kicked up embers.

The university later said the worst of the fire had pushed past the school. Michael Friel, a Pepperdine spokesperson, said parts of the campus had been "singed" but there was no major damage.

No containment so far

It was not immediately known how the blaze, named the Franklin Fire, started. County fire officials estimated that more than 10 square kilometres of trees and dry brush had burned and structures were threatened. There was no containment.

The fire burned amid dangerous fire conditions because of notorious Santa Ana winds expected to last into Wednesday. The withering, dry gusts sweep out of the interior toward the coast, pushing back moist ocean breezes.

Dick Van Dyke, one of many celebrities with homes in Malibu, said he and his wife Arlene Silver had evacuated as the fire swept in. The actor turns 99 on Friday.

"Arlene and I have safely evacuated with our animals except for Bobo escaped as we were leaving," said Van Dyke, referring to one of their cats. "We're praying he'll be OK and that our community in Serra Retreat will survive these terrible fires."

Marrone said at least 1,000 firefighters would be scrambling to get control of the blaze before the afternoon, when winds were expected to regain strength.

"Time is of the essence for us to grab a hold of the fire and start getting some containment," the chief said at a morning news conference.

The fire erupted shortly before 11 p.m. local time Monday and swiftly moved south, jumping over the famous Pacific Coast Highway and extending all the way to the ocean, where large homes line the beach and rugged inland canyons are notoriously fire prone.

At one point, flames threatened the historic Malibu Pier, but the structure was protected, officials said.

Nick Smyth, 43, lives on a farm in the Serra Retreat community, a short distance inland from the pier. His wife packed getaway bags as a precaution before they went to sleep Monday and a few hours later they heard a neighbour running down the road shouting about a fire. With flames "lapping the tops of the mountains," Smyth bundled their two kids and fled for a friend's house outside of Malibu.

"My son's got a little bit of shell shock, he's definitely feeling a little anxious," Smyth said Tuesday. "They woke up to an inferno outside their bedroom."

He says he believes their house is safe, but he knows others weren't as fortunate. Some of his neighbours stayed behind to fend off flames and care for horses.

Firefighters working in rugged terrain protected canyon homes overnight as some residents evacuated on foot with their horses.

Winds expected to pick up

As the sun came up Tuesday, heavy smoke billowed over the Pepperdine campus and the adjacent mountains that plunge toward the coast. A shelter-in-place order was lifted but the school cancelled classes and finals for Tuesday.

"The university understands the worst of the fire has pushed past Pepperdine. However, there are smaller spot fires on campus that are not threatening life or structures, and fire resources remain on campus to address these spot fires as they occur," Pepperdine said in a statement.

North to northeast winds were forecast to increase to 48-64 km/h with gusts up to 105 km/h expected later in the day, the National Weather Service's office for Los Angeles posted on X.

Power to about 40,000 customers had been shut off by Monday night, including 11,000 in L.A. County, as Southern California Edison worked to mitigate the impacts of the Santa Ana winds, whose strong gusts can damage electrical equipment and spark wildfires. Gabriela Ornelas, an Edison spokesperson, said service power was shut off to most customers in Malibu around 6 or 7 p.m. local time on Monday.

The Woolsey Fire that roared through Malibu in 2018, killing three people and destroying 1,600 homes, was sparked by Edison equipment.