Firefighters making 'steady progress' as raging blaze threatens Malibu community

Editor's note: As of Thursday, Dec. 12, the Franklin Fire is still consuming thousands of acres. Click here for the latest.

SAN DIEGO, Calif. — Firefighters began to contain a fast-growing wildfire on Wednesday that set star-studded Malibu in Southern California ablaze, destroying several structures and sending thousands of residents fleeing.

After its size increased 39% overnight, the Franklin Fire's expansion stalled on Wednesday as weather conditions improved, according to Cal Fire Incident Commander Dusty Martin. By Wednesday night, the blaze scorched just over 4,000 acres with 7% containment.

The fire was discovered Monday, just before 11 p.m. local time, and was fueled by strong Santa Ana winds and low humidity, prompting red flag warnings in the region. Red flag warnings issued by the National Weather Service in Los Angeles ended Wednesday afternoon as winds dropped off. But the agency warned that elevated to brief critical conditions would linger into Thursday for breezy areas, such as southwest Santa Barbara County and the San Gabriel Mountains.

"Today, we saw the weather moderate, which allowed us to have a lot of success around the fire," Martin said during a Wednesday evening news conference. "We're expecting tomorrow for weather change and a wind change."

In an incident update Wednesday night, Cal Fire said firefighters were making "steady progress" as relative humidity was expected to increase overnight while weak northeasterly winds were forecast to continue into the evening.

Nearly 2,000 fire personnel have been assigned to the incident, according to Martin. Firefighters faced several challenges in the Malibu Canyon area, where the terrain is "extremely steep and unaccessible," Martin said. He noted that it will likely take a "number of days" to contain the fire due to the terrain.

The flames threatened big-name celebrities' homes including Hollywood legend Dick Van Dyke, and were encroaching on an RV park community, officials said. The Los Angeles County Fire Department said the fire was also "spotted" across the iconic Pacific Coast Highway.

One restaurant owner told USA TODAY the flames came within a quarter mile of his business early Wednesday, but firefighters were able to prevent them from reaching it.

"That still was a bit too close for comfort," said John Christensen, who owns Malibu Seafood Fresh Market and Patio Cafe.

No deaths or injuries have been reported. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, according to Cal Fire.

Eye in the sky: Aerial video shows Franklin Fire threatening Malibu neighborhoods

Pepperdine University safe after students could see flames

At Pepperdine University, the campus was starting to stabilize after two separate shelter-in-place alerts on Tuesday were lifted by Wednesday morning, Michael Friel, a university spokesman, told USA TODAY.

Friel said Wednesday there had been no injuries and little-to-no damage to structures on campus due to the fire. The last time the school took such measures was during the Woolsey Fire in 2018.

The campus was in the midst of finals week, but classes have been canceled for the rest of the week, Friel said as some remaining students and faculty were preparing to leave.

Power was restored to the Malibu campus Wednesday morning after the campus lost power late Monday. Some buildings at the school had continued to operate on generator power, including the student center and library where university officials advised students on campus to shelter in place.

“It has been a stressful couple of days for our students and our community. It was a test to the campus to really show its character and resilience,” Friel said. “We are very proud of our students and how they composed themselves and responded to direction in the face of flames that literally approached the campus and was visible from our library and cafeteria.

“We are grateful to the first responders and all that they did to protect our campus and our Malibu community,” Friel added.

Franklin Fire rages, but some still 'love it here'

John Christensen got a text Wednesday morning saying his business of 25 years, Malibu Seafood Fresh Market and Patio Cafe, might be in danger. He'd left the night before, making sure his generators were running, but the flames were still "way up high" on the hills.

He raced back, using an alternate route because parts of the Pacific Coast Highway were closed. Officers at checkpoints let him go through. When Christensen, 64, arrived, the structure was still standing. “Luckily,” he said.

Christensen said he and a couple of his staffers offered to feed the firefighters, “but they said they had to keep working."

Christensen said the last time his property was affected by a blaze was during the Woolsey Fire in 2018 when he lost some outdoor tables. The risk of wildfires there is worth it, Christensen said.

“This place is like a cat, it has nine lives, and is still here,” said Christensen about the restaurant. “We love it here.”

Mark Wain, co-owner of the Cafe Luxxe, a coffee shop also located on the PCH, shares a similar sentiment.

“The Malibu community is awesome, not just because of the scenery, but also because the people are so close-knit and willing to help each other,” said Wain, 51, who has co-owned the Malibu location since 2015. “It’s definitely worth being here.”

Even so, the scene in Malibu Wednesday was "surreal," Wain said. “It was pretty heavy smoke from the Santa Monica Bluffs (that overlook the PCH) and you could see the flames northward,” Wain said.

Smoke prompts air quality alert for areas around Los Angeles

Harmful amounts of fine particles caused by smoke filled the air Wednesday as the Franklin Fire raged.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District issued an air quality alert through 5 p.m. on Wednesday for Malibu, Northwest coastal Los Angeles County, parts of the San Fernando Valley, Santa Monica, downtown Los Angeles, and other nearby areas.

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.

The particles from smoke can be breathed into the lungs and cause health impacts including heart attacks, strokes, asthma attacks and difficulty breathing. Anyone can be affected, but the effects may especially impact people with certain health conditions, the elderly, children, those who are pregnant and people who work outdoors.

How many homes have burned?

Los Angeles Fire Chief Anthony Marrone initially reported that seven structures were destroyed and nine were damaged. In an update Wednesday evening, Deputy Fire Chief Albert Yanagisawa said the fire had destroyed nine structures and damaged six structures.

Yanagisawa said damage inspection teams have completed about 25% of the inspection area. Marrone previously said Tuesday that the number of homes impacted so far was minimized thanks to the work of firefighters.

"We recognize that the updates are difficult to hear, especially for those directly affected by this fire," Yanagisawa added. "Our hearts go out to all the residents impacted by this tragic event."

Thousands of people impacted by fire, data shows

Jennifer Seetoo, captain of the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff's Station, said Wednesday night that several road closures remain in effect across the region, including parts of the Pacific Coast Highway. Seetoo noted that about 20,000 people are under evacuation orders and warnings.

So far, about 6,300 people have evacuated from their homes, according to Martin.

The latest data from Cal Fire revealed that more than 1,400 households in the area were impacted by the fire. While the area has a daytime population of nearly 10,000, Cal Fire said over 5,600 people live in the affected area.

Hundreds of residents were also considered at risk, including 867 people over the age of 65 and 169 households that have people with disabilities, according to Cal Fire. Additionally, 27 households in the area do not have access to a vehicle.

What are the Santa Ana winds?

Santa Ana winds, one of the nation's most notorious wind events and an annual weather hazard in Southern California, have helped fuel the destructive wildfire in Malibu.

The winds, which occur most often in the fall and winter, push dry air from over the inland deserts of California and the Southwest toward the coast. Santa Ana winds blow over the mountains between the deserts and coastal California. As the wind comes down the mountains, it's compressed and warms up.

As the air warms, its relative humidity also drops, sometimes to less than 20% or even less than 10%. The extremely low humidity helps dry out vegetation, making it a better fuel for fires.

"Nowhere else do such winds impact so many people with so much force and possess such extensive opportunity for damage and destruction," the National Weather Service has said. Read more.

Celebrities' homes threatened, including Mark Hamill, Dick Van Dyke

Neighborhoods threatened by the fire are under mandatory evacuation.

Van Dyke, who will turn 99 on Friday, said in a Facebook post that he safely evacuated his home. "Star Wars" icon Mark Hamill, 73, said he is in lockdown and sheltering in place.

"I'm not allowed to leave the house, which fits in perfectly with my elderly-recluse lifestyle," Hamill joked.

Cher and Barbra Streisand also live in the area, reported the New York Times. Cher's publicist told the publication that she and her pets evacuated to a hotel on Monday.

Homes in the Malibu area have been damaged by wildfires over the years, and celebrities have been among those impacted. In 2018, the massive Woolsey Fire made headlines for burning homes belonging to Miley Cyrus, Neil Young, and Gerard Butler.

Franklin Fire Map

In about 12 hours, the fire grew from 2,862 acres to 3,983 acres, according to Cal Fire.

Contributing: Cheri Carlson, Ernesto Centeno Araujo; USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Franklin Fire updates: Growing blaze threatens California community