Six years after the Woolsey Fire ripped through Los Angeles and Ventura counties, killing three people and destroying hundreds of homes, the Franklin Fire broke out Monday evening in the same area of Malibu that was devastated by the 2018 wildfire.
Thousands of people were still evacuated from their homes Tuesday afternoon after the fire broke out near Malibu Creek State Park the night before around 10:45 p.m., with closures along the Pacific Coast Highway and a shelter-in-place order at Pepperdine University — all reflecting circumstances of the forest fire that burned almost 97,000 hectares years earlier.
About 12 hours after the fire first ignited, around 12:30 a.m. Tuesday, the Franklin Fire was estimated at just over 2,700 acres, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire.
When the Woolsey Fire broke out in November 2018, it quickly exploded in size and spread to multiple cities as it jumped the 101 Freeway. Within two days, more than 70,000 hectares had been burned.
So far, the Franklin Fire appears to be moving at a slower pace, with authorities saying firefighting efforts have prevented further damage. Still, the wildfire destroyed several homes, with the flames driven by powerful Santa Ana winds that also fueled the Woolsey Fire. Both fires broke out in late autumn, a time of year when the state According to researchers and fire experts, wildfires could be even more devastating and deadly than in the summer due to seasonal Santa Anas combined with low humidity.
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But a few things have changed since the Woolsey Fire devastated two Southern California counties.
First, firefighters and other emergency responders now communicate with a radio system known as LA-RICS (Los Angeles Regional Interoperable Communications System), which operates during widespread power outages caused by fires and the weather conditions that can lead to them. According to Matt Myerhoff, a spokesperson for the city of Malibu, the system was purchased after the Woolsey Fire.
Another difference mentioned by a Malibu resident who spoke to the Los Angeles Times is the emergency notifications, which he said he received just as the Franklin Fire broke out. James Perry said his family relied on these warnings because they lost electricity, including cell phone service and Wi-Fi connections. During the Woolsey Fire, he said, he received no such reports.
One circumstance that has remained the same in the meantime is the way Pepperdine University is handling the situation.
With the campus along Pacific Coast Highway threatened by the growing fire Monday evening, school officials issued a shelter-in-place order for those on campus — even as people in nearby areas faced mandatory evacuation orders.
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“Despite any evacuation orders from the City of Malibu or surrounding areas, the University community must follow the University’s instructions,” the campus said in a message to X. “We are not evacuating the campus even if the surrounding areas could do so – this shelter-in-place protocol has been approved by LA County Fire and implemented with their cooperation.”
Pepperdine has maintained this practice for years and also announced a shelter-in-place order when the Woolsey Fire broke out in 2018. At the time, parents of students expressed concern as the flames swept through the hills near campus. Even as some criticized the policy and called for evacuations, then-university President Andrew Benton told students and others on campus to stay put, saying, “You are safe here.”
The shelter-in-place order announced just after 1 a.m. Monday remained in effect for several hours, with students told to remain in certain university buildings.
“I’ve heard from friends that they were stuck in the library all night, in the cafe,” said Henry Adams, a student at Pepperdine. “It was just very tiring. A lot of fear, a lot of fear.”
