A traffic crash sparked a three-alarm brush fire that spread to a second, smaller fire in Malibu today, closing a busy canyon road.
The fire, initially at about a half acre, was reported at 3:35 p.m. along Kanan Dume Road about two miles north of Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, according to county sheriff and fire officials.
Embers from that blaze ignited another fire about 1/3 of a mile away, authorities said.
Southbound Kanan Dume was closed at Mulholland Drive while northbound lanes were closed at PCH, officials said.
The fire was burning uphill in medium brush, according to Los Angeles County Fire Department Inspector Randall Wright.
