Strong Santa Ana winds, a dry current that blows from inland California toward the coast, strengthened overnight in Malibu, the coastal city west of Los Angeles. The flames have grown uncontrollably and have already destroyed just over 1,000 hectares (2,500 acres) with 0% containment until 3:00 p.m. (local time). The fire, called Franklin, has forced authorities to request the evacuation of thousands of people, as the fire threatens to consume some 2,000 structures. Malibu has a population of 11,000 people. About 6,000 live to the east, the area threatened by Franklin.
This morning the flames of the fire could be seen on both sides of the Pacific Highway, a very busy road that connects the metropolis with the affluent areas of the coast. Some houses and a church have been hit by the flames of the incident, which gained strength thanks to winds of between 80 and 120 kilometers per hour and conditions of very low humidity in the affected area, only 5%.
Anthony Marrone, the Los Angeles County fire chief, reported this morning in a press conference that the fire has destroyed “a minimal number of homes,” although he did not provide the exact number of residences damaged. He asked the population to moderate the water service so as not to affect the pressure of the liquid for the almost 850 firefighters who work in the area. They fight the conflagration with helicopters that use water from an artificial lake in the park, located in the city of Malibu.
Classes and final exams at the center have been canceled for this Tuesday, the institution announced. University students published images of the fire taken from the academic facilities. Pepperdine has about 10,300 students on that campus.
Authorities received the first report of the fire around 10:50 p.m. The origin has not been determined. The residents of eastern Malibu began receiving alerts and notifications of the fire half an hour later, when the flames began to advance along the slopes of the hills in the region and embers began to rain on the gardens of the residences. By midnight, a group of agents from the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office were knocking on residents’ doors asking them to leave their homes and go to one of the two shelters that have been set up in the last few hours.
A city spokesperson informed CBS this morning that the Malibu pier was not damaged as Franklin moved from the interior to the coast. “I think the impact here is going to be predominantly to houses and residences,” Matt Myerhoff told the morning newscast.
Some homes in Franklin Pass had been surprisingly saved as of Tuesday afternoon. Malibu is also the hideaway where many celebrities have their residences. Actor Dick Van Dyke, one of the protagonists of Mary Poppins, aged 98, announced on Facebook that he and his wife left their home in Serra Retreat overnight and that their cat was missing.
The authorities had warned on Monday of the potential destruction that the Santa Ana winds could bring. The meteorological service issued an alert on Monday, in effect from eight p.m. yesterday until two p.m. this Tuesday, due to a situation “particularly dangerous.” The warning is in effect for the coastal region of Malibu and the regions of San Gabriel, the Santa Monica Mountains, the city of Calabasas and the Santa Clarita and Antelope valleys in northern Los Angeles County.
The winds, officials said, could cause power outages and fuel wildfires, which is what happened in Franklin. It is the second alert issued of this type in less than two months. In early November, the residents of Camarillo (Ventura County), northwest of Los Angeles, were notified of the advance of the . This incident consumed about 8,000 hectares and destroyed about 250 structures during the 20 days it took firefighters to extinguish it.
