Explosive Malibu fire forces thousands of evacuations amid 'highest ...

MALIBU, Calif. – Hundreds of firefighters in California are continuing their relentless assault against the Franklin Fire burning in Malibu outside Los Angeles, which sent thousands of residents fleeing for safety and prompted a shelter-in-place order at Pepperdine University.

Officials said they were alerted to the wildfire just before 11 p.m. local time Monday night. Firefighters said the blaze was at 5 acres but was spreading fast due to the strong Santa Ana winds that were impacting the area.

HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER

In a matter of hours, the fire exploded in size, scorching more than 2,700 acres by early Tuesday afternoon, and was still not contained.

The cause of the Franklin Fire is also being investigated.

DOWNLOAD THE FREE FOX WEATHER APP

 

As the wildfire was raging, the city of Malibu issued mandatory evacuation orders and warned residents of the approaching flames, which eventually jumped the Pacific Coast Highway. All Malibu schools were closed on Tuesday until further notice. 

In a post on X, Malibu officials said the flames were threatening structures in the area. A "minimal number" of homes had been destroyed, but an exact number was not yet known, according to officials.

An air quality alert is in place through Wednesday for Malibu and the surrounding areas due to fine particle pollution from the wildfire smoke. 

The Franklin Fire had also been burning close to Pepperdine University, where officials told students and staff to shelter in place at the Tyler Campus Center or Payson Library.

WHAT SHOULD BE IN YOUR EVACUATION ‘GO’ BAG DURING WILDFIRE SEASON

Dramatic videos recorded at Pepperdine University showed terrified students looking out windows as flames scorched the landscape surrounding the campus.

"I do recall just seeing a line of fire through the mountains," Pepperdine University student Vignesh Sundaram said. "It just looked like ultimate chaos, and it was quite scary to look at."

Normal operations at the university were suspended on the Malibu campus on Tuesday, and the shelter-in-place order was lifted a few hours later.

'SHEEP FIRE'? 'PIPELINE FIRE'? 'HAYWIRE FIRE'? HOW WILDFIRES GET THEIR NAMES

"Campus conditions are safe for members of the community to return to student residences and on-campus houses," the university said in a statement. "The community is strongly encouraged to remain on campus and stay off Malibu roads as first responders continue to respond to the Franklin Fire, which continues to threaten Malibu."

Sundaram said the rapidly developing situation didn’t seem real at first.

"It honestly didn’t feel very real, it felt very surreal at first," he continued. "It was hard to process kind of like how close the fire was."

A Ventura County fire helicopter picks up water from a pond at Pepperdine University while fighting the Franklin fire in Malibu, CA on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

(Getty Images)

Power has been shut off in the area, roads across the city have been closed except for those trying to escape the inferno, and shelters have been opened for those who have been displaced.

WHAT TO DO IF A WILDFIRE PROMPTS A POWER OUTAGE

At the state level, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state was able to secure a Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG) from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to "help ensure the availability of vital resources to suppress the fire burning in Malibu."

The FMAG will help to assist local, state and tribal agencies responding to the fire to apply for 75% reimbursement of their eligible fire suppression costs.

"Fire officials and first responders are working relentlessly to protect lives and property from the Franklin Fire," Newsom said in a statement. "California is grateful for this federal support, which bolsters these efforts. I urge all residents in affected areas to stay alert and follow evacuation orders."

HOW THE LAY OF THE LAND AFFECTS WILDFIRE BEHAVIOR

Heavy equipment removes boulders as a mountainside burns while the Franklin Fire grows in Malibu, California, on December 10, 2024.  (Photo by DAVID SWANSON/AFP via Getty Images)

(Getty Images)

At the Tuesday news conference, officials said approximately 18,000 people and more than 8,000 structures were within the affected areas, and people in surrounding communities should be prepared to act should additional evacuation orders be issued.

Officials said there have been no significant injuries or deaths associated with the fire, but a vehicle from the Santa Clarita Sheriff’s Department was damaged by the fire. The deputy was not injured.

Southern California faces ‘highest possible’ wildfire threat

The National Weather Service office in Los Angeles has been warning those in Southern California that the Santa Ana winds would bring the "highest possible" fire danger to most of Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

"Unfortunately, over the next several hours, we're looking for this very volatile combination of weather parameters to come together to favor a particularly dangerous situation," said NWS Los Angeles Meteorologist-in-Charge Ariel Cohen on Tuesday.

 

The NWS issued a Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS) Fire Weather Warning for much of the Santa Ana wind corridor through Tuesday.

"It's a very rare combination of powerful, damaging winds that can cause powerlines to go down and spark ignition, for example, and then also spread the fires very rapidly, cause them to actually form ahead of the main fire line, causing the whole thing to advance and surge many miles an hour," Cohen said.

On Tuesday, a weather gauge in Malibu reported a peak gust of 54 mph and a dew point as low as -9 with a relative humidity of 5%.

 

The PDS Warning has been extended through Wednesday for the Susana Mountains. To the south, San Diego County was also under a Fire Weather Warning.

"Don't do anything that could spark an ignition out there, especially today," Cohen said.

Forecasters feared that these fire weather conditions could "rival other historical fires in recent times," including last month’s Mountain Fire and the Thomas Fire in December 2017.