Franklin Fire Threatens Resort Area of Malibu, California
Alexis Thornton
2 weeks agoEvacuations were put in place overnight as a quickly evolving wildfire threatened the Southern California city of Malibu. Here is the latest on this quickly developing situation.
Franklin Fire Threatens Malibu, California
The onset of dry and gusty winds triggered the rapid spread of a wildfire near Malibu late Monday. The Franklin Fire is currently threatening structures in the area in and around Malibu. A shelter-in-place was issued for students at Pepperdine University. Classes were canceled at the school right on the coast for Tuesday.
According to CalFire, the blaze quickly grew to over 1,600 acres, almost doubling in size in a period of just one hour. The mandatory evacuations are in place for areas east of Malibu Canyon Road and south of Pluma Road. The Serra Retreat area is also under these orders, according to a recent social media post by the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said that there are about 18,000 residents and 8,100 homes and businesses under the orders or warnings.
The City of Malibu announced that it has activated its Emergency Operations Center to facilitate the distribution of information and aid. Reports are coming in detailing significant damage to homes in the path of the fire. The famous Malibu Pier is also being threatened by the flames.
Fire engines patrolled the Pepperdine campus overnight. Videos taken by students showed flames burning in the distance. While the worst of the fire has now retreated from the campus, university officials said that some spot fires remain a threat. As such, the school made the decision to cancel classes and finals on Tuesday in order to allow students to shelter in place in either the Tyler Campus Center or Payson Library. Both of these structures are protected from brush fire threats and their impacts.
All public schools in Malibu were also closed on Tuesday.
As of the Tuesday morning update, the Franklin Fire had burned over 2,200 acres and was 0% contained. Officials detailed that the fire was burning through an area as large as five football fields over one minute during the height of the spread late Monday. The fire was able to explode in size due to the high winds circulating around Southern California. The National Weather Service (NWS) reported gusts of over 50 mph in the area around the Franklin Fire.
Santa Ana Wind Event to Blame for Fire
In addition to the onset of the Santa Ana wind event, meteorologists are also putting the blame on the exceptionally dry area and low relative humidity levels. The Malibu area is under a high wind warning through Tuesday afternoon with gusts potentially hitting speeds of 70 mph.
Winds are expected to decrease as the day progresses, however, the dry air will remain entrenched over the region through Wednesday. It has also been a dry stretch of weeks for Southern California, contributing to the dried out vegetation that makes it easier for flames to spread.
The latest forecast models call for winds from the northeast to gust to 40 to 60 mph through much of Southern California. In addition to raising the risk of brush fires, winds of this magnitude are high enough to bring down tree limbs and power lines.
The sparks generated from downed power lines can raise the threat of wildfires even further. This is why experts caution against working with power equipment during times of high winds. All it takes is one little spark to create a massive blaze that grows quickly under the right conditions.
The Santa Ana wind gusts are also powerful enough to knock over outdoor grills, sending the embers flying. Campfires are also a potential source of brush fires if the winds pick up speed.
High winds are also capable of knocking over high-profile vehicles on highways. Motorists should exercise caution during this Santa Ana wind event.
Looking ahead to Wednesday, the northeasterly winds are expected to bring up the mercury across Southern California. For instance, Los Angeles is forecast to see highs in the mid 70s on Wednesday despite the presence of increasing clouds.
The zone of high pressure will push inland beginning on Wednesday, bringing an end to the Santa Ana winds on Wednesday. However, another storm coming inland over the Pacific Northwest will result in breezy conditions by Thursday for the region.
This same storm system is predicted to deposit cooler air to Northern California. San Francisco will struggle to climb out of the 50s for afternoon highs for the rest of the week.
This part of the Golden State will also see a higher chance of rain and snow as the system pushes inland. The greatest chance of snow in places such as South Lake Tahoe and Truckee will be Thursday morning. Highs will hover in the low to mid 30s during this time with lows dropping down into the teens.
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