The L.A. County Fire Department encourages residents to download the Ready! Set! Go! Wildfire Action Plan for important safety tips.
MALIBU (CNS) – The destructive and disruptive Franklin Fire in Malibu Canyon, fueled by strong Santa Ana winds, has burned more than 4,000 acres and is 7% contained, but Southern California Edison said Thursday power has been restored to customers in the area and traffic signals are functioning.
The fire has destroyed nine structures and damaged six others but no injuries have been reported, authorities said.
At an 8 a.m. multi-agency briefing on Wednesday, Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony Marrone said the fire’s size was estimated at 3,983 acres. As of Thursday at 4:30 a.m. the fire has scorched 4,037 acres, according to Cal Fire, with 7% containment.
Marrone said 1,532 firefighting personnel were assigned to the firefighting effort.
“Nine structures have been destroyed and six structures have been damaged as our fire department partners continue their efforts to suppress the fire,” the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department reported.
Cal Fire Assistant Chief Dusty Martin reported Wednesday evening that 6,300 individuals were displaced due to the evacuation order.
Cal Fire Incident Management Team 4 assumed command of the firefight Wednesday morning. The Los Angeles County Fire Department will remain engaged until the fire is contained.
A red flag warning of critical fire danger that had been in place in the Malibu area since Monday was scheduled to expire at 2 p.m. Wednesday, but the National Weather Service canceled the warning an hour early, saying the winds were decreasing “faster than expected.”
“While very dry air and elevated fire weather conditions will persist into tonight, the threat of critical fire weather conditions have ended,” according to an NWS statement.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna, also at the Wednesday morning briefing, said more than 100 sheriff’s department personnel have been assigned to patrol the affected area, and there have been no crimes reported in that area since the fire began late Monday night.
Information continues to be available on the sheriff’s department’s social media sites such as @lasdhq on X, and also on the website www.lacounty.gov/emergency, Luna said.
Third District Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, who represents Malibu, met with leaders from Malibu, Topanga, Pepperdine, and neighboring communities to coordinate emergency response efforts.
“The strength of our Malibu and surrounding communities has been evident throughout this crisis. To those impacted by the Franklin Fire, I want you to know that we are here for you,” Horvath said. “To all those who have come together — from mutual aid organizations to our County departments, neighboring counties, and countless volunteers — thank you for your dedication and compassion. Your efforts make a difference.”
Luna said evacuations were affecting 19,980 people and 7,560 structures in the fire area. Mandatory evacuation orders affecting about 12,600 people were in place in an area roughly south of Piuma Road, east of Corral Canyon, and west of Big Rock. Another 7,380 people were under evacuation warnings, in an area south of Mulholland Highway, north of Pacific Coast Highway, east of Trancas and west of Coastline.
Evacuation shelter was operating at a Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District facility at 2828 Fourth St. in Santa Monica and the Palisades Recreation Center at 851 Alma Real Drive in Pacific Palisades.
The shelter at the Calabasas Community Center was closed Wednesday by the American Red Cross Los Angeles Region.
Small animals can be taken to Agoura Animal Center, 29525 Agoura Road, Agoura Hills, while larger animals can be sheltered at Pierce College, 6201 Winnetka Ave., Woodland Hills.
Luna said “soft” street closures, in which only residents with proper identification, may enter an area, were in effect at:
— Topanga Canyon Boulevard at Pacific Coast Highway; and
— Old Topanga Canyon Road at Mulholland Highway to Topanga Canyon.
Luna said “hard” closures, in which only emergency vehicles may enter an area, were at:
Tuna Canyon at Pacific Coast Highway
Kanan Road at Pacific Coast Highway
Saddle Peak at Tuna Canyon
Stunt Road at Mulholland Highway
Cold Canyon at Piuma Road
Piuma Road at Malibu Canyon to Pacific Coast Highway
The blaze began shortly before 11 p.m. Monday in a Malibu Canyon area where a high volume of dry brush contributed to the rapid spread of the blaze. It erupted in the midst of a rare “particularly dangerous situation red flag warning” issued by the National Weather Service in response to strong wind gusts and dramatically dry conditions.
The cause of the fire was still under investigation.
On Tuesday, more than a dozen water- and retardant-dropping aircraft were assisting in the effort, including Super Scoopers and eight Cal Fire S2-T tankers, which are capable of dropping 1,200 gallons of retardant.
The fire grew in size by about one-third overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday, Marrone said, and at one point it backed into Corral Canyon, threatening an RV park, where at least one structure was damaged.
But with winds dying down, firefighters appeared to be slowly gaining ground in the effort to slow the blaze — a dramatic change from the danger faced by residents Monday night and early Tuesday morning when the conflagration exploded in size.
Malibu City Councilman Bruce Silverstein and his wife on Monday night evacuated from their home and checked into a hotel, where they watched the fire creep closer to their hillside home via Ring cameras around their house.
“We see real flames,” Silverstein told the Los Angeles Times, as he watched the lawn and trees near his home burn. “We thought it was completely under control. For a while it looked like we were in the clear. Then we could see the fire burning in the distance, and then a bunch of embers came flying into the yard.”
Pepperdine University reported power outages and activated a shelter- in-place protocol early Tuesday morning. That order was lifted Tuesday morning, although students and staff were urged to stay off the local roads.
Final exams at the university were postponed and campus operations were suspended, with much of the campus without power.
All Malibu schools within the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District were closed Tuesday, and they will remain closed through Thursday due to the power outages, road closures and evacuation orders due to the fire. The district’s Santa Monica schools remained open.
The Santa Monica College Malibu Campus was closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
Southern California Edison officials began restoring power to several neighborhoods late Wednesday afternoon once the red flag warning was lifted, but other areas remain affected.
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger signed a local declaration of emergency in response to the fire early Tuesday morning. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that the state had secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to assist 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 Red Cross of Los Angeles is working around the clock with local emergency management officials to assist those in need of resources and shelter. Residents affected by the Franklin fire are encouraged to call 800-733- 2767.
Recent Comments