Firefighters made some gains containing a raging wildfire that threatens Malibu, California, even as the burn area doubled in size in a day and high-wind warnings are forecast to persist through much of Wednesday.
The Franklin Fire, which has burned almost 4,000 acres, is still only 7% contained, according to Cal Fire, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. But decreased wind, cooler temperatures and higher humidity overnight are helping firefighters gain the upper hand in some areas, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said Wednesday.
“We’re going in the right direction,” Marrone said at a news briefing. But, he added, “I’ll feel like we’ve turned the corner at 100%” containment.
More than 1,500 firefighters were on-site, joined by helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft attacking the fire from the sky. The blaze, which has destroyed seven structures and damaged nine others, has triggered evacuations and shelter-in-place orders, terrifying residents of the wealthy community.
There were no reports of fatalities or injuries, and the cause of the blaze is still under investigation, Cal Fire said.
The Franklin fire has grown explosively since it was first spotted Monday night, driven by dry conditions and strong, seasonal Santa Ana winds. The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for the Malibu coast until 6 p.m. local time, predicting gusts of up 35 miles (56 kilometers) per hour near the fire’s footprint. That could complicate response efforts, bringing a risk of air-tossed embers sparking new blazes.
Even stronger winds are expected into the evening for portions of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, where conditions are also dry and conducive to fire. About 125 miles to the east of the Franklin Fire, the San Bernardino County Fire Department is battling the Rogers Fire, which started Tuesday as a residential incident and spread to about 10 acres.
“With the threat of these strong wind gusts in these windier corridors, there will be an increased risk for downed tree limbs and power lines, along with power outages,” the weather service wrote in an advisory.
Road access is severely limited, with hard closures along the Pacific Coast Highway that connects Malibu to Los Angeles. Local public schools will be closed Wednesday and Thursday, according to an X post from the City of Malibu. Power remains out in much of Malibu, interfering with cell service, traffic lights and other services.
“The city of Malibu awoke again to a very red sunrise,” Mayor Doug Stewart said at the briefing Wednesday. “This morning, it was from the lingering smoke in the sky, rather than the approaching line of fire. We’re far better off this morning than we were in the last 30-plus hours.”
Malibu is one of the state’s wealthiest communities, with miles of pristine beaches and homes selling for a median price of more than $4 million. Actor Dick Van Dyke posted on social media Tuesday that he, his wife and their animals had evacuated their home. The evacuation orders cover an area not far from the site of the Getty fire, a 2019 blaze that burned 745 acres.
California will receive federal emergency assistance to help fight the Franklin fire, according to a statement from Governor Gavin Newsom’s office Tuesday.
As a safety precaution, electric utilities across the region have ordered power cuts to prevent their equipment from tossing sparks that could start new fires.
San Diego Gas & Electric Co. had shut off service to almost 47,000 customers early Wednesday morning, with another 71,000 on notice for potential outages later this week.
About 25,000 customers of Southern California Edison were without power early Wednesday morning, mostly in Los Angeles County. The company was considering additional outages for almost another 23,000 homes and businesses.
Top photo: A firefighter works to contain a spot fire at Pepperdine University during the Franklin fire in Malibu on Dec. 10. Photographer: Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg.
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