A large wildfire is burning in Malibu Canyon near Pepperdine University, prompting evacuations of residents.
The fire, also called the Franklin Fire, was first reported Monday just after 10:45 p.m. near S. Malibu Canyon Road and Station Boundary just south of the Piuma area, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
KCAL News
According to Cal Fire, the fire has already destroyed 2,200 acres. Although officials have not released specific numbers on the number of buildings torched, witnesses and firefighters told KCAL News that some homes have been destroyed.
Just before 1 a.m., the flames crept over the top of the hill as strong winds fueled their rapid spread toward Pepperdine. At 3 a.m., the Franklin Fire spread south on the Pacific Coast Highway to Malibu Road, near Webb Way. It entered the Malibu Pier area and threatened some nearby structures along Malibu Knolls Road and the Sweetwater Mesa area.
Matt Myerhoff, public information officer for the city of Malibu, said early Tuesday morning that the pier is safe, but structures have been affected. “I think the majority of the buildings affected here are going to be residential,” he said.
“We don’t have any information yet as to whether they have been damaged or destroyed, it’s too early to say… we just know that the fire brigade is working on that.”
On Tuesday morning, Governor Gavin Newsom said the state has been awarded a Fire Management Assistance Grant from FEMA to ensure resources are available to help fight the fire.
It is unclear how the fire started.
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Evacuations
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies were evacuating residents living in zone MAL-C112, which includes the area east of Malibu Canyon Road and south of Piuma Road, as well as the Serra Retreat. More information about evacuations is available on the City of Malibu website.
“The way evacuations are done by the sheriff’s department is they go door to door. They drive up and down the streets with a blow horn and knock on every door. They wake people up and take them out of their homes,” Myerhoff said. .
He said he will use the lessons he has learned from the Woolsey fire 2018First responders communicate via LA-RICS radios purchased by the city, as power outages affect cell phone service and all other forms of communication.
“We are safe. All retreats have been evacuated safely,” the Serra Retreat said. “It appears the fire is on the grounds of the retreat center, but there are several fire engines there. Hopefully they can contain the fire.”
A resident named Linda said her boss’s home was destroyed while she was trying to evacuate horses.
“It’s happening so fast,” she said. ‘I’m worried about the two horses I left there. I know the house is gone. I went back inside to look for the two horses, but it was too dangerous.”
Below is a real-time map of evacuation orders and warnings.
A temporary evacuation center was opened as the Palisades Recreation Center, located at 851 Alma Real Drive. Large animals could be taken to Pierce College in Winnetka.
Pacific Coast Highway is closed, except for evacuations, between Topanga Canyon Boulevard and Corral Canyon Road.
“Stay away from the Malibu area if you can, at all costs,” said Deputy Tracy Koerner. ‘Don’t come to Malibu. “A lot of people are commuting through Malibu from Ventura and Santa Monica, those people should stay on the 101 Freeway today.”
Fire approaches Pepperdine University
Pepperdine school officials released a statement saying they were closely monitoring the fire.
“The fire is not currently affecting any university campuses,” the statement said. “The Malibu Campus and surrounding area may experience power outages as a result of this incident.”
KCAL News
However, at 1:10 a.m., the fire continued to creep closer to the university, forcing the administration to issue a shelter-in-place order.
“All community members on the Malibu campus are instructed to shelter in place at the Tyler Campus Center or the Payson Library,” the administration wrote on community to follow the university’s instructions. “
The government stated that their “protocol has been approved by LA County Fire and is being implemented with their cooperation.”
Pepperdine canceled all classes and finals for Tuesday after the fire.
“Normal activities on the Malibu Campus were suspended on Tuesday. This includes canceling classes and finals for that day,” the university tweeted.
The worst of the fire pushed past Pepperdine at 3:30 a.m., but some smaller fires continued to burn around campus. The government said the hotspots posed no threat to structures or lives.
“Additionally, power remains out in much of Malibu and therefore, to ensure the safety of our community, we will maintain the shelter-in-place protocol until at least daylight,” the university wrote on The EOC will continue to update the community.”
Malibu school closures
While students at Pepperdine University are in hiding On Tuesday morning, the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District announced that all Malibu schools will be closed Tuesday, December 10, until further notice.
“Authorities are urging residents and visitors to stay away from the area as the fire continues to pose a significant threat,” Superintendent Dr. Antonio Shelton wrote in a community announcement.
“Right now, many Webster families are under evacuation orders, and several families in other Malibu neighborhoods are under evacuation watches due to the Franklin Fire. Our district’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is closely monitoring the situation and we are prepared to respond as conditions evolve.”
Red flag warning
Weather officials was concerned about the fire hazard that would affect most of Southern California to pave the way. Unusually low humidity combined with a powerful Santa Ana wind movement created dangerous conditions, leading them to issue a “red flag warning for a particularly dangerous situation.”
In response, SoCal Edison has warned tens of thousands of Los Angeles County residents that their service could be shut down if winds intensify.
The conditions were similar to the weather at that time A mountain fire broke out in Ventura County early November. That fire burned nearly 20,000 acres and destroyed more than 200 structures.
This is a development story. Check back for more information.
