One person is dead after more than a half-dozen wildfires raged across Southern California Sunday, sending massive clouds of smoke into the sky.

The flames are being driven by powerful Santa Ana winds and are responsible for the destruction of several homes and a church in celebrity-laden Malibu.

No details were available about the death, which occurred near San Diego, but a spokesperson for the California Department of Forestry said four firefighters and four others had been injured and taken to hospital.

At least 1,200 acres have been charred by the blazes, which also closed the Pacific Coast Highway and set fire to cars and trees in nearby mall parking lots.

The city of Malibu listed 10 neighbourhoods under forced evacuation Sunday afternoon, including Serra Retreat and Sweetwater Canyon, and told other residents to prepare to be forced to leave the area.

The city of 13,000 includes many multi-million dollar homes along the Pacific Coast Highway belonging to celebrities including Mel Gibson, David Geffen, Barbara Streisand and Pierce Brosnan.

The wildfires are responsible for the evacuation of hundreds of homes in Malibu Hills on Sunday and threatened Pepperdine University as well as the upscale Malibu Crest neighbourhood.

About 500 firefighters were acting in the area, said Sam Padilla, an inspector with the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Faculty and staff at Pepperdine were temporarily asked to evacuate the campus, but were told they could return late Sunday afternoon.

Erratic wind had hampered efforts to use helicopters to drop water on flames in the hills above the campus.

Blazes consumed the landmark Castle Kashan, a fortress-like area home, as well as the Malibu Presbyterian Church.

The fires had been widely expected in Southern California as hot weather and strong Santa Ana winds marked the height of traditional wildfire season, after one of the driest rain years on record.

Palm trees were bent in half by gusts of wind reaching over 100 kilometres per hour.

Susan Nuttall told The Associated Press she had fled her condo near Pepperdine campus.

"We're all scared to death and we have nowhere to go," said Nuttall, 51, still wearing a bathrobe and holding her chihuahua.

With files from The Associated Press