A fire again affects the city of Malibu this Wednesday, December 11, an area popular with celebrities and billionaires near Los Angeles, in the United States. More than 1,550 hectares went up in smoke and 20,000 people were called to evacuate.
Since Monday, December 9, the surroundings of Malibu, city and beach of the stars near Los Angeles, in the west of the United States, have been ravaged by a fire.
This Wednesday, more than 1,550 hectares have already burned according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. And the fire is still 0% contained according to the same source while more than 1,500 firefighters are fighting against the flames and they are helped by a fleet of water bomber planes.
20,000 people called to evacuate
Seven homes in this area popular with celebrities and billionaires have already gone up in smoke, according to the authorities. 20,000 people were called to evacuate. About 2,000 properties on the east side of Malibu were issued a mandatory evacuation order. Of which Dick Van Dyke99 years old, famous in particular for her role in Mary Poppins (1964), the singer Cher and the actress Mira Sorvino, Oscar winner in 1996 for her role in Maudite Aphrodite.
“Arlene (his wife, Editor’s note) and I evacuated our animals safely, except for one cat who escaped as we were leaving. We pray that he pulls through and that our community survives these terrible fires,” Dick Van Dyke wrote on Facebook.
“All my friends and neighbors in Malibu, I pray you are safe. We evacuated in the middle of the night, the kids and pets were all there! Scary times!!,” he said. Mira Sorvino on X. People living in 6,000 other properties were advised to leave.
All schools in Malibu, located on the Pacific Rim, were closed Tuesday, with authorities calling on “residents and visitors to stay away from the area while the fire continues to pose a significant threat.” It was a “traumatic” event for the city, said Mayor Doug Stewart.
“We had a vision of horror”
“We had a vision of horror because a vacant lot located opposite our building caught fire,” a resident told BFMTV.
“The firefighters were on the other side of the canyon taking care of the mountains. There was so much fire here, it was crazy, crazy!” exclaims another.
A woman says she opened her door and saw “all the mountains around her in flames”. “The fire was really close,” she said.
This fire, nicknamed Franklin, continues to progress. It is fanned by a hot and powerful wind, coming from Nevada towards the coast, which dries out the vegetation. Sparks can turn directly into an inferno or fly away and burn further.
Much of the southern part of the state is placed on red alert by the United States Weather Service (NWS), with gusty winds and low humidity increasing the risk of fires.
After two rainy winters which offered a relative respite, California is experiencing a very active fire season this year. This summer, the “Golden State” suffered from several heat waves, signs of global warming. In July-August, the state suffered the fourth largest fire in its history.
Juliette Brossault with AFP
