Pepperdine University no longer in danger as Malibu wildfire grows

MALIBU, Calif. (CN) — The wildfire that erupted in the canyons above Malibu late Monday grew in size overnight, but the Pepperdine University campus in the coastal Southern California enclave appears no longer threatened by the flames and the red flag warnings are set to expire Wednesday.

The Franklin Fire had scorched 3,893 acres as of Wednesday morning and was 7% contained, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said at a news conference. About 1,500 firefighters are battling the wildfire that grew about 39% overnight, the fire chief said.

“Crews are working tirelessly around the clock to establish containment lines and defend structures,” Marrone said. “Thirty-three hours into this firefight, our primary focus remains the safety of residents and first responders.”

The fire had increased in intensity along its western edge Tuesday night and threatened an RV park, according to Marone. A total of seven structures had been destroyed, and another nine have been damaged he said.

The red flag warnings from the National Weather Service, however, are to end Wednesday afternoon. The warnings went up this week as strong Santa Ana winds, which blow from hot and dry inland areas toward the Pacific Ocean, with widespread guests of 40 to 55 mph created a high risk of wildfires in the parched mountains and canyons above Malibu and other parts of Southern California.

Pepperdine University, which sits in the center of Malibu, said Wednesday morning that power had been restored on the campus. Students had been ordered to shelter in place at the library and the campus center as the flames flared up around the campus.

Fire activity around the university had greatly diminished as the Franklin Fire has burned through most of the fuel immediately surrounding campus, the university said last night, but some flames were still visible in small pockets of campus.

Mandatory evacuation orders for much of the eastern part of Malibu remained in place Wednesday morning, while the rest of the city remains under an evacuation warning.

Close to 20,000 people live in the affected area, LA County Sheriff Robert Luna said at the news conference Wednesday morning, including 12,600 who are under evacuation orders.

The Franklin Fire started Monday evening near Malibu Canyon Road, which runs through the coastal mountains above the city.

The city, with its many wealthy and celebrity residents, is no stranger to devastating wildfires. As historic droughts have plagued most of the western U.S. in recent years, strong winds have set off fires by blowing tree branches into electricity cables.

In 2018, the Woolsey Fire burned almost 100,000 acres in Los Angeles and Ventura County and damaged or destroyed hundreds of homes in Malibu.

In addition, when wildfires burn off the vegetation that holds the soil together on the mountains above the city, Malibu can face equally devastating mudslides when the winter rains arrive.

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