The “stubborn fire” was 0% contained and involved some 1,500 firefighters, Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony C. Marrone said at a news conference Tuesday evening. A preliminary aerial assessment estimated that seven structures were destroyed and eight others damaged.
The fire has grown to more than 1,133 hectares – with 243 hectares burning on Tuesday alone, according to Mr Marrone.
“These 20 hours have been traumatic for the city of Malibu,” said Malibu Mayor Doug Stewart. City Hall was in the path of the fire. Officials therefore had to move to nearby Calabasas to serve as a base for emergency operations, he continued.
Many major fires have ravaged Malibu, and there is now a familiar cycle where once-lush vegetation is charred.
“It burns, it grows back, and we are resilient and strong,” explained the mayor.
Santa Ana winds gusted up to 40 mph and created erratic fire conditions.
About 20,000 residents were under evacuation orders or warnings, Capt. Jennifer Seetoo of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said Tuesday evening. Several shelters have been opened for displaced residents, she said.
An “apocalyptic” climate
Abigail Ballhagen and Bethany Kronlund, who are students at Pepperdine University, said the evacuation of students from the dorms to the school library late Monday amid rising smoke and flames were advancing, was terrifying. Some 3,000 students took refuge on campus.
“There were ashes everywhere, embers everywhere,” Bethany Kronlund said.
“It was truly apocalyptic,” added Abigail Ballhagen.
The university later stressed that the worst of the fire had spread beyond the facility. Michael Friel, a university spokesman, said parts of the campus were “burned” but there was no major damage. The school canceled classes and final exams for Tuesday.
The cause of the fire, called the “Franklin Fire,” was not immediately clear. It ravaged part of Malibu, a community of about 10,000 people on the west end of Los Angeles, known for its breathtaking scenery of seaside cliffs and Zuma Beach, featured in Hollywood films.
The blaze burned in dangerous fire conditions due to the notorious Santa Ana winds that were expected to last through Wednesday. Dry, biting gusts sweep inland toward the coast, pushing back moist ocean breezes.
Several residents evacuated
Dick Van Dyke, one of several celebrities with a home in Malibu, said he and his wife, Arlene Silver, evacuated the place when the fire spread. The actor turns 99 on Friday.
“Arlene and I evacuated safely with our animals, except for Bobo who escaped as we were leaving,” Mr. Van Dyke said, referring to one of their cats. “We pray that he is okay and that our Serra Retreat community survives these terrible fires.”
Meteorologists said Tuesday afternoon that the strongest winds had passed, but the danger remained, particularly in the mountains, until Wednesday.
The fire broke out shortly before 11 p.m. Monday and quickly moved south, crossing the famous Pacific Coast Highway and extending to the ocean, where large homes line the beach and rugged inland canyons are notoriously prone to fires. At one point, flames threatened the historic Malibu Pier, but the structure was protected, authorities said.
Nick Smyth, 43, lives on a farm in the Serra Retreat community, a short distance from the pier. His wife packed up as a precaution before going to bed Monday, and a few hours later they heard a neighbor running down the road shouting that there was a fire. As flames “licked the tops of the mountains,” Mr. Smyth took his two children and fled to a friend’s house outside Malibu.
“My son is a little shocked, he’s definitely feeling a little anxious,” Mr. Smyth said Tuesday. (The children) woke up to a blaze outside their room.”
Power was cut to about 40,000 customers Monday evening, including 11,000 in Los Angeles County, as Southern California Edison worked to mitigate the impacts of Santa Ana winds, whose strong gusts can damage electrical equipment and start forest fires. Gabriela Ornelas, an Edison spokeswoman, said power was cut to most Malibu customers around 6 or 7 p.m. Monday.
The Woolsey Fire that ravaged Malibu in 2018, killing three people and destroying 1,600 homes, was started by Edison’s equipment.
While Malibu is known for its celebrities and ultra-wealthy residents, Kasey Earnest, executive director of the Boys and Girls Club of Malibu, said Tuesday she is particularly concerned about middle- and lower-class families, ranchers and farmers. who also make up the community.
“I consider these residents to be the heart of Malibu,” she said. They’re just normal families – no one lands a helicopter on their property.”
