(NewsNation) — Firefighters are continuing to battle the Franklin Fire, which has led to mandatory evacuation orders for nearly 18,000 Malibu, California, residents living in the area around Pepperdine University.
The fire is 0% contained and has drawn some 1,500 firefighters, Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony C. Marrone said. He said a preliminary aerial assessment estimates seven structures were destroyed and eight structures damaged.
The blaze has grown to more than 2,800 acres, growing 600 acres alone Tuesday, according to officials.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna told reporters Tuesday that 18,000 people have been affected by the fire and that 8,100 structures are in the affected areas. Of those structures, 2,043 are under mandatory evacuation orders, while 6,046 are under evacuation warnings.
Here’s what is known about the fire at this time.
Where is the Franklin Fire?
The fire was reported in the Malibu Canyon near South Malibu Canyon Road and Francisco Ranch Road, which is located near Pepperdine University. Cal Fire officials announced that the fire had spread across the Pacific Coast Highway (Highway 1) and was moving toward the Malibu Pier. The pier is a popular tourist destination that is popular among locals and surfers. Malibu is located nearly 37 miles outside of Los Angeles.
Countless other structures are at risk, officials said.
How big is the Franklin Fire?
Fire officials said that as of Tuesday afternoon, the fire has burned about 2,850 acres. The fire started affecting only about 10 acres, CalFire officials said but has continued to spread due to the high winds. Conditions are not expected to improve until at least Wednesday, officials said.
Where could the Franklin Fire travel to?
The office of California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that Californians are urged to remain vigilant and that “critical fire conditions” were expected to affect many areas east of Los Angeles and Ventura counties as well as the Inland Empire, San Diego County valleys, and Inland Orange County areas through Wednesday.
What schools, businesses, and neighborhoods have evacuated because of the fire?
Pepperdine University canceled classes and issued a shelter-in-place order due to the surrounding area being affected by the blaze. Residents in several Malibu neighborhoods and surrounding communities have had their power shut off as utility workers are hoping to mitigate the effects of the high Santa Ana winds.
A university spokesperson told NewsNation affiliate KTLA that the university is “well-designed” to protect people at the center of its campus. The shelter-in-place order has been lifted as of Tuesday.
Cal Fire officials have said that more than 13,000 Malibu residents are affected by the evacuation order and that about 8,100 structures are impacted, the Los Angeles County sheriff said Tuesday. The New York Times reported that the evaluation orders extended to the western border of Los Angeles and included much of the Santa Monica mountains.
In addition to Pepperdine University, the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District closed all of its schools in Malibu. The district said that the closures were due to the fire and “other fire concerns”. The closures affected two elementary schools, a middle school and Malibu High School.
Residents have been asked to avoid using their sprinklers or irrigating their lawns as that water may be needed to fight the fire.
Pacific Coast Highway between Kanan Dume Road and Topanga Canyon Boulevard has been shut down until further notice, the California Highway Patrol announced on Tuesday.
Has anyone died in the Franklin Fire?
No deaths or serious injuries have been reported since the fire broke out. A Pepperdine spokesperson told The New York Times that damage to the campus is minimal and that none of the university’s 3,000 students and faculty members who were sheltered in place were injured.
Local law enforcement officials said that seven structures have been destroyed, and eight structures sustained damage due to the fire.
The Los Angeles Fire Department said that a “small” of homes have been damaged, but the exact number is unknown.
Celebrities and coastal residents flee from wildfire
Dick 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.”
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.”
What started the Franklin Fire?
Fire officials have not announced the cause of the fire. However, the National Weather Service on Monday issued a Red Flag warning for areas East of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, KTLA reported. The weather service announced that warm Santa Ana winds produced gusts of up to 80 mph.
AccuWeather officials announced that the dry air and dry vegetation are creating conditions that are conducive to new fires spreading out of control.
Has air quality been affected by the Franklin Fire?
Smoke generated by the Franklin Fire has diminished the air quality in Malibu and in surrounding communities, the South Coast Air Quality Management District said.
Smoke was largely spreading west over the Pacific Ocean, but was spread over Los Angeles throughout the day on Tuesday, the agency said. A Wildfire Smoke Advisory was released by the agency, which runs through 5 p.m. local time on Wednesday.
The fire is actively producing smoke with winds pushing the smoke toward Malibu. Sensors showed that levels put the air quality in the unhealthy to hazardous category, the agency said. Smoke is most likely to affect Northwest coastal Los Angeles County, including Malibu.
The alert said that some smoke impacts may occur in parts of the San Fernando Valley, Santa Monica, downtown Los Angeles, and nearby areas on Wednesday afternoon as winds shift to come from the southwest.