A fast-moving wildfire has scorched 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 nine damaged.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Meteorologists warned that even though the strongest winds in the area have passed, high fire dangers have decreased. That should aid efforts to contain the fire.
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,” 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.
Malibu resident speaks out after his home is destroyed in the Franklin Fire
A Malibu resident is speaking out after his home was destroyed in the Franklin Fire.
His four-bedroom home was located in the Malibu Knolls neighborhood and was one of seven that had been destroyed.
Vidaurri, his wife, and two young daughters evacuated to a hotel in Santa Monica.
He expects that the family’s pet bunnies did not survive the fire, and that they lost most of their things.
“My girls cried, obviously, but it could have been worse.”
Julia Musto12 December 2024 02:00
Pepperdine University shares video of wooden cross still standing on hills above campus
It was later replaced by brothers of the Sigma Chi fraternity.
They carried the cross in pieces up the hill in honor of Seaver College student Alaina Housley, who was killed in the shooting at the Thousand Oaks-based Borderline Bar and Grill.
Julia Musto12 December 2024 01:00
Red flag warning expires on the Malibu coast
A red flag warning that was scheduled to extend into Wednesday afternoon has been canceled.
Winds decreased earlier than expected, according to KTLA.
Other red flag warnings that were scheduled to expire Wednesday evening also were canceled.
Julia Musto12 December 2024 00:00
Power is restored in some areas of Malibu
Julia Musto11 December 2024 23:00
Malibu resident recalls fire moving toward RV park
A Malibu man is recalling the moment the Franklin Fire approached the city’s RV park.
“You could see the fires rolling in, in over the canyon. It was like ‘Holy crap, this is real,’ ” Shawn Smith told The Associated Press.
Smith was asleep when someone knocked on his mobile home to wake him up.
A day, later, he returned to find that the RV park had been saved by firefighters.
“We got lucky,” he said.
Julia Musto11 December 2024 22:00
Here’s how to help people affected by the fire
Julia Musto11 December 2024 21:00
Malibu’s Franklin Fire has now spread over more than 4,000 acres
Malibu’s Franklin Fire has now spread over more than 4,000 acres, according to Cal Fire.
The 4,031-acre blaze is still 7 percent contained.
Julia Musto11 December 2024 20:42
Photos show devastation of Malibu wildfire
Julia Musto11 December 2024 20:34
Here are the latest evacuation and shelter updates
Julia Musto11 December 2024 20:15
Meta social media platforms are down as the fire continues to burn
“Hi, we know there’s a technical issue impacting some people’s ability to access Instagram,” it wrote on the official Instagram page on X/Twitter. “We’re working to get things back to normal as quickly as possible and are sorry for any inconvenience.”
The Independent’s Andrew Griffin has the latest:
Julia Musto11 December 2024 20:00
