Explosive Franklin Fire forces thousands to evacuate as 4,000 acres burn in Malibu

MALIBU, Calif. – Nearly 2,000 first responders from multiple agencies are on the ground and in the air battling the Franklin Fire burning in Malibu, California, outside Los Angeles on Thursday.

A firefighter fights the Franklin Fire while it burns in the Pacific Coast Highway in the morning on December 11, 2024 near Malibu, California.

(Apu Gomes / Getty Images)

The destructive fire has forced thousands of residents to evacuate, including iconic actor Dick Van Dyke. The 98-year-old star and his wife were among those who fled their home just days before his 99th birthday.

“Arlene and I have safely evacuated with our animals, except for Bobo, (who) escaped as we were leaving,” he said on social media. “We’re praying he’ll be OK and that our community in Serra Retreat will survive these terrible fires.”

The fire even prompted a shelter-in-place order at Pepperdine University on Tuesday.

According to the FOX Forecast Center, the fire was likely caused by human activity since no lightning was detected in the area around the time the fire started.

Over 1,000 first responders from multiple agencies are on the ground and in the air battling the Franklin Fire burning in Malibu, California, outside Los Angeles on Wednesday.

(Doug Morrison / LACoFD Photographer)

Firefighters were alerted to the wildfire just before 11 p.m. local time Monday. In a matter of hours, the fire exploded in size, scorching more than 4,000 acres by Thursday morning with 7% containment.

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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. Around 6,300 people remain evacuated as of Wednesday evening, officials said.

Firefighters extinguish hotspots as the Franklin fire burns around Malibu, California, on December 11, 2024.

(DAVID SWANSON/AFP / Getty Images)

A damage survey team has pored over 25% of the affected area so far and counted nine structures destroyed, and six others damaged, according to Albert Yanagisawa, deputy chief of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

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Franklin Fire threatens Pepperdine University 

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.

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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 a shelter-in-place order was put in place. By Tuesday evening, some flames were still visible in small pockets of campus. Early analysis indicates little to no damage to structures, and no injuries have been reported. 

University campus officials, students and faculty would remain in the shelter-in-place protocol overnight, and an announcement would be made Wednesday morning when it can be lifted.

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

“It felt very surreal at first,” he continued. “It was hard to process kind of like how close the fire was.”

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.

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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)

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.”

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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.

Fire threat ends as winds relax Wednesday night

Dangerous fire weather conditions will persist for one more day across Southern California as strong Santa Ana winds and very dry air continue to affect the region. 

Although the winds won’t be quite as powerful as they were on Tuesday, gusts up to 55 mph will still enable any new fires that develop to rapidly spread out of control.

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The most potent winds and greatest fire threat are expected to occur Wednesday morning, coinciding with an extremely dry air mass. Relative humidity values will be in the teens and could even drop into single digits, the FOX Forecast Center said.

During the latter half of the day, the area of high pressure over the Great Basin, which has been driving the Santa Ana winds, will move eastward away from the region. As this shift occurs, the winds will weaken, and the fire threat will begin to diminish. 

The risk for fires will wind down Wednesday night as the winds relax completely.