Malibu Franklin Fire: About 20% contained, some residents can return home soon as cause remains under investigation
Roughly 20,000 face evacuations in Malibu, including some celebrities, as fire continues to rage near Los Angeles
A fast-moving wildfire scorched more than 4,000 acres in Malibu, forcing 20,000 residents to flee as flames raced toward homes, horse farms and Pepperdine University.
The Franklin Fire, another late-year wildfire fanned by fierce Santa Ana winds, left a trail of destruction in its wake. Officials confirmed nine structures were destroyed and six had been damaged. Fire officials said it will take a “number of days” to put out the blaze, which was 20 percent contained early Thursday afternoon. The cause of the fire remained under investigation.
The strongest winds in the area had passed and meteorologists said high fire dangers decreased, which aided efforts to contain the fire. Evacuations in Malibu displaced thousands of residents, including celebrities Dick Van Dyke and Cher.
Mayor Doug Stewart said earlier in the week that the fire had marked a “traumatic 20 hours” for the city.
More than 1,900 personnel continued to battle the blaze, with many roads closed and others under security patrols. Some areas would reopen to residents.
“To those who are still waiting, know that every efforts is being made to ensure your safety and your return as soon as possible,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath said.
Watch: California night sky glows orange as Franklin Fire rages
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.
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
Photos: Destruction caused by Malibu wildfires
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.
Pepperdine University says fire activity around campus is ‘greatly diminished'
Los Angeles fire officials to hold morning press conference
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
Firefighters work to put out Franklin Fire’s flames as blaze grows
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