Cooler temperatures forecast to help firefighters battle Malibu wildfire

Firefighters work to contain blaze that drove thousands, including Cher and Dick Van Dyke, from their homes

Cooler temperatures, calmer winds and a chance of rainfall in the coming days are forecast to help firefighters as they battle a wind-driven blaze in steep, rugged terrain that has driven thousands, including celebrities, from their homes in Malibu.

The weather improved so much on Wednesday that meteorologists said all red flag warnings, which indicate conditions for high fire danger and the notorious Santa Ana winds, were discontinued. The conditions allowed firefighters to have “a lot of success” despite the nearly inaccessible terrain, the CalFire assistant chief Dusty Martin said.