MALIBU, California (AP) _ A wildfire driven by powerful Santa Ana winds threatened a California university and forced the evacuation of hundreds of homes in the Malibu Hills on Sunday, authorities said. Flames destroyed a church and several homes, one of them a landmark castle.

No residents or firefighters were injured, authorities said.

Palm trees bent in half and embers were carried through the air as wind gusted to 60 to 65 mph (97 to 105 kph). Thick smoke obscured the sun.

About 500 firefighters worked to protect Pepperdine University and some 200 homes in the upscale Malibu Crest and Serra Retreat neighborhoods, said Los Angeles County Fire Department Inspector Sam Padilla. The coastal area is home to celebrities including Barbara Streisand, Mel Gibson, Ted Danson, David Geffen and Pierce Brosnan, as well as about 25 rehabilitation facilities whose guests have included Britney Spears, Ben Affleck, Charlie Sheen, Diana Ross and Matthew Perry.

The blaze had charred at least 1,000 acres (400 hectares) _ or more than a square mile (2.6 square kilometers) _ and had jumped the Pacific Coast Highway, closing the popular road and setting fire to cars and trees in shopping center parking lots along the route. TV footage also showed several buildings in flames in the area, including clusters of beachside homes.

Faculty and staff at the 830-acre (335-hectare) Pepperdine campus were urged to evacuate, school spokesman Jerry Derloshon said.

At least three homes and two commercial buildings had been confirmed destroyed, and nine other homes were damaged, county Fire Chief P. Michael Freeman said.

Fire crews had found downed power lines, which may have started the blaze in Malibu Canyon, fire Capt. Mike Brown said.

Erratic wind gusts hampered efforts to drop water from aircraft and pushed flames toward HRL Laboratories, commonly known as Hughes Lab, a research and engineering facility jointly owned by Boeing Co. and General Motors Corp. about a mile north of Pepperdine. One outbuilding caught fire, Boeing spokeswoman Diana Ball said.

Susan Nuttall, still wearing a bathrobe and holding her chihuahua, said she had fled her condo just below the Pepperdine campus.

”We’re all scared to death and we have nowhere to go,” she said.

Wildfires had been widely expected in Southern California during the weekend as hot weather and strong Santa Ana wind marked the height of traditional wildfire season after one of the driest rain years on record.