Fast winds have driven the Franklin Fire in Malibu Canyon to burn nearly 4,000 acres Wednesday and prompt evacuation orders, officials said.
The fire swelled from around 2,600 acres Tuesday to an estimated 3,983 Wednesday, driven by overnight Santa Ana winds that were expected to calm later in the day. Meanwhile, authorities issued evacuation orders for more than 12,000 people with thousands more facing evacuation warnings. no injuries have been reported.
The fire was 7% contained as of Wednesday morning, according to Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony Marrone and Cal Fire. Pending a more thorough damage assessment expected later Wednesday, Marrone said seven structures have been destroyed and nine have been damaged.
More than 1,500 firefighting personnel were assigned to battle the blaze, according to Cal Fire, which has assumed Unified Command of the Franklin Fire Wednesday that includes Cal Fire Incident Management Team 4, the LA County Fire Department and the sheriff’s department.
A red flag warning indicating critical fire hazard that has been in effect in the Malibu area since Monday was scheduled to expire at 2 p.m. Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service. Forecasters said Santa Ana winds have begun calming and will be replaced by an onshore flow that should reduce dry conditions that aid the fire’s spread.
LA County Sheriff Robert Luna said Wednesday that over 100 sheriff’s department personnel have been assigned to patrol the fire-affected area. No crimes were reported in fire zone since the blaze began.
Luna said evacuations were affecting 19,980 people and 7,560 structures in the fire area. About 12,600 people were under mandatory evacuation orders in the area south of Piuma Road, east of Corral Canyon and west of Big Rock. Another 7,380 residents received evacuation warnings south in the area of Mulholland Highway, north of Pacific Coast Highway, east of Trancas and west of Coastline.
The Franklin Fire was first reported around 11 p.m. Monday in a Malibu Canyon area where a large amount of dry brush enabled its rapid spread, along with a “particularly dangerous red flag warning” issued by the National Weather Service indicating strong wind gusts and very dry conditions.
Wind gusts as high as nearly 50 mph were recorded in Malibu overnight on Monday into early Tuesday, the NWS reported.
Authorities said “soft” street closures, in which only residents may enter an area, were in place at:
- Topanga Canyon Boulevard at Pacific Coast Highway;
- Topanga Canyon Boulevard at Mulholland Drive; and
- Topanga Canyon Boulevard at Mulholland Highway;
“Hard” closures, in which only emergency vehicles have access, were issued at:
- Las Virgenes at Mulholland Highway;
- Pacific Coast Highway between Topanga Canyon Boulevard and Kanan Road;
- Malibu Canyon at Civic Center;
- Malibu Canyon at Pacific Coast Highway;
- Pacific Coast Highway at Corral Canyon Road;
- Topanga at Pacific Coast Highway;
- Mulholland at Cole Canyon;
- Saddle Peak at Tuna Canyon;
- Pacific Coast Highway at Tuna Canyon;
- Pacific Coast Highway at Kanan Road; and
- Mulholland at Stunt Road.
Shortly after midnight Tuesday, several evacuation orders and warnings were issued between Trancas Canyon and Topanga Canyon Boulevard, and areas south of Mulholland Highway to Pacific Coast Highway, Luna said.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department’s mandatory evacuation order covers the area south of Piuma Road, north of the Pacific Ocean coastline, east of Puerco Canyon Road and Corral Canyon Park and west of Los Flores Canyon Road. The order is also for the area between the Pacific Ocean coastline and Tuna Canyon Park to the west of Tuna Canyon Road.
Evacuation warnings were in effect for the area east of Trancas Canyon Road and Kanan Dune Road, west of Topanga Canyon Boulevard and Surfview Drive, south of Mulholland Highway and north of the evacuation order boundary, according to Cal Fire.
There were no reports of injures or specific damage assessments, though flames reportedly reached the Serra Retreat area at 1 a.m. Tuesday prompting evacuation, and the fire crossed Malibu Canyon Road.
Malibu City Hall and Pepperdine University were among the Malibu locales threatened by the nearby fire. The city temporarily moved its Emergency Operations Center to Calabasas.
Pepperdine reported power outages and required students and staff to shelter-in-place overnight in a library and cafeteria. The order was lifted around 8 a.m. Tuesday.
University officials postponed final exams and suspended school operations, with a large portion of the Pepperdine campus still without electricity.
Evacuation shelters were operating at a Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District facility at 2828 Fourth St. in Santa Monica; the Calabasas Community Center, 27040 Malibu Hills Road; and Palisades Recreation Center, 851 Alma Real Drive in Pacific Palisades.
Evacuation shelters for animals are at the Agoura Animal Care Center in Agoura Hills and for large animals Pierce College in Woodland Hills.
LA County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger signed a local emergency declaration in response to the fire early Tuesday.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state has secured a federal Fire Management Assistance Grant from the to aid with the firefight.
“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.”
The cause of the fire was under investigation.
Updated information on evacuations and other fire-related topics is at fire.ca.gov/incidents/2024/12/9/franklin-fire and lacounty.gov/emergency.
Updated Dec. 11, 2024, 10:48 a.m.
