Weather conditions were forecast to improve this week in Southern California, aiding firefighters in their battle against a wind-driven wildfire that has forced up to 20,000 people — including performers Cher, Dick Van Dyke and his wife — from their homes.
Residents under evacuation orders and warnings waited anxiously to see whether their properties had been spared by the Franklin Fire, which erupted late Monday and grew to 4.8 square miles (12.3 square kilometers) with no containment by early Wednesday. More than 1,500 firefighters were assigned to the fire, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as CalFire.
The National Weather Service late Tuesday said the strongest Santa Ana winds, with gusts that reached 40 mph (64 kph), have passed. The notorious winds are withering, dry gusts that sweep out of the interior toward the coast, pushing back moist ocean breezes.
Even as the weather was expected to improve, forecasters said gusty winds will continue through Wednesday morning, especially in the mountains, and critical fire conditions remain.
Much of the devastation occurred in Malibu, a community of about 10,000 people on the western edge of Los Angeles renowned for its stunning scenery of seaside bluffs and Zuma Beach featured in Hollywood films. Flames burned near celebrities' seaside mansions, horse farms and Pepperdine University, where some 3,000 students were forced to shelter in place on campus. Many evacuated their dorms to the library through smoke and ash as flames roared in the canyon nearby.
An early analysis showed little to no damage to structures on campus, the university said in an update on social media on Tuesday night. Fire activity was diminished, but some flames were still visible.
It was not immediately known how the blaze started. Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony C. Marrone said a preliminary aerial assessment estimates that seven structures were destroyed and eight structures damaged.
The Malibu City Hall was in the fire's path, so officials had to relocate to nearby Calabasas as a base for emergency operations, he continued.
Many major fires have burned in Malibu, and there's now a familiar cycle where once-lush vegetation is charred.
"It burns, it grows back, and we're resilient and strong," Malibu Mayor Doug Stewart said.
Van Dyke, one of many celebrities with homes in Malibu, said he and his wife, Arlene Silver, had evacuated as the fire swept in. The actor turns 99 on Friday. "Arlene and I have safely evacuated with our animals except for Bobo escaped as we were leaving," said Van Dyke, referring to one of their cats. "We're praying he'll be OK and that our community in Serra Retreat will survive these terrible fires."
Cher evacuated from her Malibu home when ordered and is staying at a hotel, her publicist Liz Rosenberg said late Tuesday.
The fire erupted shortly before 11 p.m. Monday and swiftly moved south, jumping over the famous Pacific Coast Highway and extending all the way to the ocean, where large homes line the beach and rugged inland canyons are notoriously fire prone. At one point, flames threatened the historic Malibu Pier, but the structure was protected, officials said.
Power to about 40,000 customers had been shut off by Monday night, including 11,000 in LA County, as Southern California Edison worked to mitigate the impacts of the Santa Ana winds, whose strong gusts can damage electrical equipment and spark wildfires. Gabriela Ornelas, an Edison spokesperson, said service power was shut off to most customers in Malibu around 6 or 7 p.m. Monday.
The Woolsey Fire that roared through Malibu in 2018, killing three people and destroying 1,600 homes, was sparked by Edison equipment.
While Malibu is known for its celebrity and uber-wealthy residents, Kasey Earnest, executive director of the Boys and Girls Club of Malibu said Tuesday that she's especially concerned about the lower- and middle-class families, ranchers and farmers who make up the community, too.
"I refer to those residents as the heart of Malibu," she said. "They're just normal families — nobody's landing a helicopter on their property."