Wildfire Sweeps Through Malibu, Forcing Residents to Flee
A devastating wildfire is tearing through swaths of the iconic Southern California coastline, consuming homes and vehicles and forcing residents, including legendary actor Dick Van Dyke, to flee their coveted hillside properties.
The Franklin Fire, which caught many residents by surprise, exploded late Monday and was burning through an area larger than five football fields every minute. The intense blaze is so powerful that it’s worsening already extreme fire conditions by altering local wind patterns and “bending them towards and into the fire,” the National Weather Service in Los Angeles warned.
One resident, Linda Michel, recounted her panic as she woke up in the middle of the night to find the fire bearing down on her property. “No one had time to get dressed, everybody jumped in the car, it was like, ‘Get out of here!'” she told CNN.
The fire has consumed at least seven structures, with eight more damaged, and is currently 0% contained. Strong winds and critically low humidity are worsening conditions near the fire, with gusts of up to 40 miles per hour and critically low humidity expected to persist into Wednesday.
Thousands of people, including students at Pepperdine University, have been ordered to evacuate, with 18,000 residents and 8,100 homes and businesses under evacuation orders or warnings. The university is without power, but has set up a shelter at the library and student center.
Actor Mark Hamill went into lockdown on Tuesday as the fire intensified, posting on Instagram, “We’re in lockdown because of the Malibu fires. Please stay safe everyone! I’m not allowed to leave the house, which fits in perfectly with my elderly-recluse lifestyle.”
The state of California has secured a FEMA grant to support fire response, and a state of local emergency has been declared in Los Angeles County.
It’s not until Wednesday afternoon that winds and other fire weather conditions will begin to improve significantly, and stormy weather will bring rain to the Pacific Northwest and some relief to fire-ravaged areas on Thursday morning.
