Firefighters Battle Wind-Driven Wildfire in Malibu, California
A wind-driven wildfire forced thousands of people, including celebrities, to evacuate their homes in Malibu, California, as firefighters battled the blaze. The fire, which erupted late Monday, grew to over 6 square miles by Wednesday morning and was only 7% contained.
More than 1,500 firefighters were battling the blaze, with many climbing in steep canyons near lines of flames and others hosing down collapsed roofs of horse stables and charred homes. The fire has destroyed at least 7 structures and damaged 9 others, with many more threatened.
The fire has also forced the evacuation of Pepperdine University, where about 3,000 students were sheltered in place on campus. An early analysis showed little to no damage to structures on campus, but some flames were still visible.
The fire has also affected celebrities, including Cher and Dick Van Dyke, who evacuated their homes. Van Dyke’s cat, Bobo, escaped as they were leaving and is still missing.
The fire is expected to continue to burn through Wednesday morning, with gusty winds expected to continue in the mountains. Critical fire conditions remain, and forecasters said the strongest Santa Ana winds, with gusts reaching 40 mph, have passed.
The fire has also affected power to about 40,000 customers, with Southern California Edison shutting off service to most customers in Malibu around 6 or 7 p.m. on Monday.
The fire is the latest in a series of devastating wildfires to hit Malibu, including the Woolsey Fire in 2018 that killed three people and destroyed 1,600 homes.
