Franklin fire in Malibu explodes over 3,000 acres as Dick Van Dyke and Cher evacuated from their homes: Live
A red flag fire weather warning is in place in Malibu as evacuations affect 20,000 residents
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Your support makes all the difference.A fast-moving wildfire has scorched nearly 4,000 acres in Malibu, forcing 20,000 residents to flee as flames advanced on homes, horse farms, and Pepperdine University.
The Franklin Fire, yet another late-year wildfire fanned by fierce Santa Ana winds, has left a trail of destruction as officials confirmed seven structures destroyed and eight damaged.
Evacuations have displaced thousands of residents, including celebrities such as Dick Van Dyke and Cher.
Malibu mayor Doug Stewart called it a “traumatic 20 hours” for the city, as emergency operations relocated to Calabasas after the city hall was threatened.
"It burns, it grows back, and we're resilient," Mr Stewart said.
More than 1,500 firefighters are battling the blaze with many roads closed and others under security patrols.
At Pepperdine University, 3,000 students sheltered in place as smoke and embers engulfed the campus. “Ash was everywhere, embers were everywhere,” said a student, Bethany Kronlund.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Meteorologists warned that even though the strongest winds have passed the danger remained on Wednesday, especially in the hilly areas.
Malibu fire map: Thousands of acres of California scorched by wildfires as 20,000 evacuate
Malibu fire map: 3,000 acres of California scorched by wildfires
Real time maps from California Fire Department show how the blaze has spread to over 3,000 acres of land – an area twice the size of Central Park
Pepperdine University says fire activity around campus is ‘greatly diminished'
Nearly 4,000-acre Franklin Fire is nearly 7 percent contained
Malibu’s Franklin Fire had spread over nearly 4,000 acres by Wednesday mroning.
The blaze scorched 3,983 acres, Cal Fire reported.
However, the agency also reported that firefighters had made some progress. The wildfire is 7 percent contained.
Photos: Destruction caused by Malibu wildfires
Why Pepperdine students sheltered in place as wildfire threatened their campus
The wildfire alert came in the middle of the night as some college students in Southern California were cramming for final exams and others were woken up in their dorms.
But rather than run away from the impending blaze, some 3,000 students at Pepperdine University headed toward two buildings at the heart of the 830-acre (336-hectare) campus in coastal Malibu, California, to shelter in place.
The protocol at the Christian university with picturesque views of the Pacific Ocean may seem to defy logic to those accustomed to scenes elsewhere in wildfire-prone California of thousands of residents evacuating fire zones in lengthy caravans of cars.
Read more:
When fire threatened a California university, the school says it knew what to do
In coastal Southern California, a university has extensive plans for students to shelter in place in case of a wildfire
Wildfires conditions to ease by the end of the week
Firefighters in Southern California are continuing to battle the Franklin Fire in Malibu, which has scorched more than 3,000 acres since igniting late on Monday.
Although the powerful Santa Ana winds that fuelled the fire have begun to subside, forecasters warn that wildfire risks remain high through Wednesday due to low humidity.
Mike Wofford, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard, told the New York Times that wind speeds, which peaked at 50mph on Tuesday, are expected to drop below 20mph by midday Wednesday. However, the dry conditions could still allow new fires to spark.
By Thursday, an increase in humidity and ocean breezes are expected to reduce the risk, with forecasters predicting light rain by the end of the week, offering some relief to the fire-stricken region.
Newsom acknowledges wildfire season is ‘year-round’ in California
The Democratic leader said the brush fire proved that fire season is not a season in the state.
“It’s year-round in the state of California ... We’re in the middle of December and yet we’re experiencing yet another wildfire in southern California,” he said.
This year, more than 7,900 fires have burned over a million acres across California.
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