'Steady progress': Crews aided by rain, cooler temps in containing Malibu's Franklin Fire

Editor's note: As of Friday, Dec. 13, the Franklin Fire is still ongoing. Click here for the latest.

Thousands of acres in Malibu remain ablaze as firefighters work to make progress to contain the Franklin Fire and lift some evacuations in the area, officials said Thursday.

The once fast-moving blaze has scorched more than 4,000 acres and was 30% contained by Thursday night, according to Cal Fire's latest incident update. The fire threatened over 4,300 structures, destroying 12 and damaging 11 other structures, Cal Fire said.

Although the blaze smoldered in steep and "very dangerous" terrain, Cal Fire said fire activity was minimal and there was no significant fire growth on Thursday.

"Aerial suppression efforts in those areas have been successful in keeping the fire subdued," Cal Fire added. "Cooler weather, higher humidities, as well as the absence of strong winds have assisted firefighting efforts."

Damage inspections remained ongoing and Cal Fire Assistant Chief Dusty Martin said during an earlier news briefing that teams had sifted through about 25% of the debris. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Some evacuation orders were lifted Thursday evening as authorities began repopulation efforts, according to Malibu/Lost Hill's Sheriff's Capt. Jennifer Seetoo. During a virtual community meeting Thursday night, Seetoo said about 37 people have been allowed to return to their homes.

The updates come as previous red flag warnings have expired. Crews could also get some relief as a band of rain showers and cooler air move through Southern California, officials said.

Temperatures could reach as high as the mid-60s, Joe Sirard, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Los Angeles, told USA TODAY.

"But there are some westerly and northwesterly winds also in the forecast, which might not be good for the wildfire," Sirard said Thursday. "It will moisten up a tiny bit, but the winds could be problematic in fighting any leftover hotspots."

Firefighters kept Pepperdine's campus safe as students and staff watched flames from the library

Flames licked the windows of the library on Pepperdine University’s campus Monday night where Religion and Philosophy Divisional Dean Dyron Daughrity was sheltering in place with roughly half the people still on campus.

It was Daughrity’s third wildfire in the 18 years since he started at Pepperdine, where he lives with his family on campus.

The sight of the flames right at Payson Library’s windows was "dramatic," Daughrity said. The smell of smoke filled the air even indoors, and those sheltering stayed awake through most of the night. Though surrounded by at times frantic students, Daughrity said he had full confidence the firefighters would keep them safe.

“If you haven't been through it before, it's very scary, but if you have been through it before, you realize that these firefighters, they always come through,” Daughrity told USA TODAY on Thursday.

Come morning, they were allowed to return to their homes, only to be ordered back to the library again the next night as fire sprang up close to the other side of campus on Tuesday. The campus cafeteria has been feeding sheltered students, staff, and firefighters alike. As a group of firefighters walked in Wednesday evening, the cafeteria erupted in applause.

“Those men and women, their blackened faces and boots and all their equipment wearing blackened suits and everything,” he said. “You couldn’t find a dry eye in the place."

As the strong winds fueling the fire began to subside and containment grew on the last day, most of the danger passed, the professor added. Smoke still fills the air, and “all around us the fire still burns,” but the campus itself remains mostly unscathed, Daughrity said.

That’s thanks to the firefighters and the university’s extensive planning for disasters, he said.

“I give praise to God for people that go into that line of work that run towards fires, not away from them,” Daughrity said.

— Jeanine Santucci

Air quality alert extended

As the red flag warnings in the area lapsed Wednesday, the South Coast Air Quality Management District extended a smoke advisory until 7 p.m. local time Thursday night, warning residents that Northwest coastal Los Angeles County, including Malibu and areas near the fire, will suffer the worst effects.

Shifting winds may push smoke to the northeast and east toward Santa Monica, the Santa Monica Mountains, and downtown Los Angeles, the agency added.

People are urged to stay inside and keep windows closed, use an air purifier if possible, avoid any strenuous activity outside, and turn off any house fans that bring in outdoor air. Anyone who must go outside should wear a well-fitting N95 mask, officials said.

Particles from smoke can be breathed into the lungs and cause heart attacks, strokes, asthma attacks, and difficulty breathing. Anyone can be affected, but people with certain health conditions, including the elderly, children, those who are pregnant, and people who work outdoors, are most vulnerable.

Malibu's Franklin Fire in maps: Here's where the wildfire has spread

Franklin Fire map

When was the fire discovered?

The fire was discovered Monday night, just before 11 p.m. local time. The blaze spread overnight, fueled by strong Santa Ana winds up to 50 mph and low humidity.

As the winds dropped off Wednesday, the National Weather Service in Los Angeles ended its red flag warnings but said that elevated to brief critical conditions would linger into Thursday for breezy areas such as southwest Santa Barbara County and the San Gabriel Mountains.

Nearly 2,000 fire personnel have been assigned to the blaze, including multiple air tankers "that are flying fire suppression missions as conditions allow," according to Cal Fire.

Humidity in LA County

By Wednesday night, firefighters made "steady progress" in controlling the fire, Cal Fire officials reported. Though wind remains, the area will see an increase in humidity.

Meanwhile, the weather service continues tracking a system off the Oregon coast that could bring a chance of light rain and coastal winds to the area in the coming days.

Friday was expected to remain dry, but a separate system could visit the area Saturday.

Contributing: Doyle Rice and Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Franklin fire in Malibu updates: Firefighters make 'steady progress'