A fast-moving bushfire in Malibu has prompted officials to issue mandatory evacuation orders as firefighters battle the inferno.
The three-alarm blaze, being called the Franklin Fire, was first reported around 10:45 p.m. Monday near Malibu Canyon Road, near Pepperdine University, where a mandatory shelter-in-place order is in place.
Video posted on X shows students taking shelter inside a library as intense flames and smoke are seen outside a window.
Wildfire intensifies in Malibu. KABC
The three-alarm blaze is being called the Franklin Fire. AP
The fire was first reported around 10:45 p.m. Monday near Malibu Canyon Road, near Pepperdine University. AP
A mandatory shelter-in-place order is in place.
“Despite any evacuation orders from Malibu city or surrounding areas, the University community should follow University instructions,” Pepperdine University wrote on social media.
Pepperdine students are seen sheltering in place during a massive bushfire. Fox 11
A vehicle burns during the Franklin Fire on the campus of Pepperdine University. AP“We do not evacuate the campus even when surrounding areas might – this shelter-in-place protocol is approved by LA County Fire and executed with their cooperation.”
“Very stressful seeing flames outside … we were so scared,” said student Gaby Salgado, who is sheltering in place in the university’s library. “Power is out … the wind was so strong. I knew it was dangerous,” she told Fox Weather.
The raging inferno has already engulfed 1,674 acres (2.6 square miles) with zero containment, and hundreds of structures are at risk of being engulfed by flames, Cal Fire reported early Tuesday.
“Mandatory evacuation orders are in order east of Malibu Canyon Rd and South of Piuma Rd. as well as the Serra Retreat area,” the Los Angeles County Fire Department wrote in a Facebook post.
A mandatory evacuation order had been issued for Malibu Pier, Malibu Village Mall, and City Hall as of 1:45 a.m. PTD due to the “immediate threat to life.”
A video posted on X shows students taking shelter inside a library as intense flames and smoke are seen outside a window. Fox 11
The raging inferno has already engulfed over 1,500 acres with zero containment, and multiple structures are at risk of being engulfed by flames. AP
A mandatory evacuation order had been issued for Malibu Pier, Malibu Village Mall, and City Hall as of 1:45 a.m. PTD. AP
A mandatory evacuation order had been issued for Malibu Pier, Malibu Village Mall, and City Hall as of 1:45 a.m. PTD due to the “immediate threat to life.” APLate Monday, deputies with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department went door to door in Malibu, using loudspeakers urging residents to evacuate.
Officials have not yet revealed the cause of the fire.
Officials have shut down a five-mile stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway. AP
Firefighters are pushed back by gusty winds while removing fuel around the faculty and staff residences at Pepperdine University as the Franklin Fire approaches in Malibu, Calif., on Dec. 10, 2024. AP
Residents are being urged to follow police and fire officials’ evacuation directions. APThe flames — fueled by strong winds — moved into the Serra Retreat area around 1 a.m. Tuesday, where they are threatening structures.
The National Weather Service reported winds of up to 45 mph and gusts of up to 65 mph in the area.
Multiple water-dropping aircraft were called to the scene to assist with the massive blaze.
The National Weather Service has issued a “Particularly Dangerous Situation” red flag warning for vast swaths of Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
