Weather conditions are expected to improve across Southern California, helping firefighters battle a wind-driven wildfire that has forced up to 20,000 people, including Cher, Dick Van Dyke and his wife, to leave their home.
Residents under evacuation orders and warnings were anxiously waiting to see if their properties had been spared from the fire, which broke out Monday evening and expanded to more than 10 square miles Wednesday morning. It was only 7 percent contained.
A car drives past flames from the Franklin Fire at Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer).
More than 1,500 firefighters were battling the blaze, many working in steep canyons, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as Cal Fire.
“The deep, rugged terrain, along with strong winds and low humidity, continue to pose challenges for firefighters,” Cal Fire said in an update on the incident Tuesday evening.
A vehicle burns during the Franklin Fire on the Pepperdine University campus in Malibu, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer).
The National Weather Service said Tuesday evening that Santa Ana’s strongest winds, with gusts reaching 40 mph, had passed. The notorious winds are dry, withering gusts that blow from the interior towards the coast, pushing back moist ocean breezes.
Even if the weather was expected to improve, forecasters said gusty winds would persist through Wednesday morning, particularly in the mountains, and critical fire conditions would persist.
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Much of the devastation occurred in Malibu, a community of about 10,000 west of Los Angeles known for its stunning oceanfront bluffs and Zuma Beach, which features in many films Hollywood. Flames burned near celebrity beach homes, horse farms and Pepperdine University, where about 3,000 students were forced to shelter in place on campus. Many evacuated their dorms to the library through smoke and ash as flames roared in the nearby canyon.
Firefighters battle the Franklin Fire in Malibu, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong).
An initial analysis showed little or no damage to campus structures, the university said in a statement released Tuesday evening. Fire activity decreased, but some flames were still visible.
It is unclear how the fire started. Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone said Tuesday evening that a preliminary aerial assessment estimates seven structures were destroyed and eight others damaged.
Malibu City Hall was in the path of the fire, so officials had to move to nearby Calabasas as a base for emergency operations, he said.
Many major fires have ravaged Malibu, and there is now a familiar cycle in which once-lush vegetation is charred.
“It burns, it grows back, and we are resilient and strong,” said Mayor Doug Stewart.
Two firefighters monitor the Franklin Fire as it approaches a building in Malibu, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong).
Van Dyke, one of several celebrities with homes in Malibu, said in a Facebook post that he and his wife, Arlene Silver, were evacuated as the fire spread. Although the couple and most of their pets were evacuated safely, one of their cats, Bobo, ran away as they left. “We pray that he is okay and that our Serra Retreat community survives these terrible fires,” he wrote.
Cher was evacuated from her Malibu home by order and is staying in a hotel, her publicist, Liz Rosenberg, said Tuesday evening.
The fire broke out shortly before 11 p.m. Monday and quickly moved south, crossing the famous Pacific Coast Highway and stretching out to the ocean, where large homes line the beach and where rugged interior canyons are notoriously fire-prone. At one point, flames threatened the historic Malibu Pier, but the structure was protected, officials said.
Power to about 40,000 customers was cut Monday evening, including 11,000 in Los Angeles County, as Southern California Edison worked to mitigate the impact of Santa Ana winds, whose strong gusts can damage electrical equipment and start forest fires. Gabriela Ornelas, a spokeswoman for Edison, said power was cut to most Malibu customers around 6 or 7 p.m. Monday.
These satellite images provided by Maxar Technologies show smoke rising from the Franklin Fire in Malibu, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (Maxar Technologies via AP).
The Woolsey Fire that ravaged Malibu in 2018, killing three people and destroying 1,600 homes, was started by Edison equipment.
While Malibu is known for its celebrities and ultra-wealthy residents, Kasey Earnest, executive director of the Boys and Girls Club of Malibu, said Tuesday that she is particularly concerned about lower- and lower-class families, ranchers and farmers. middle-aged people who also live in Malibu. the community.
“I consider these residents the heart of Malibu,” she said. “They’re just normal families: no one lands a helicopter on their property.”
© 2024 The Canadian Press