Areas of Los Angeles and Ventura counties are under a red flag warning until 6 p.m. Wednesday as winds from Santa Ana return, challenging crews trying to put out the Franklin fire in Malibu.
The fire has burned more than 4,000 acres and was 78% contained as of Tuesday afternoon, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Firefighters have supplies in case a new round of Santa Ana winds causes the fire to start moving again.
Southern California Edison warned Malibu customers to prepare for possible power outages Tuesday evening to reduce the risk of wildfires. Topanga Canyon Boulevard, a busy road connecting Malibu and the San Fernando Valley, was closed to non-residents Tuesday afternoon due to wildfire danger and will remain so during a red flag warning, Caltrans announced.
The Franklin Fire erupted last Tuesday amid an unusual “extremely hazardous condition” warning with low humidity levels in the single digits and wind gusts of up to 75 mph. The current red flag warning is for a moderate Santa Ana wind event, with gusts of 40 to 60 mph and humidity levels in the low 10% to 20% range, according to the National Weather Service.
“The standard red flag warning is still very dangerous, but it won't be very dry and windy,” said weather service meteorologist Carol Smith. “If we have a fire, we still expect rapid growth and extreme fire behavior.”
The red flag warning was in effect as of 3 p.m. Tuesday and covers much of Ventura County and the western part of Los Angeles County. High winds are forecast for Santa Monica, Santa Susanna and the San Gabriel Mountains.
At the peak of the Franklin fire, nearly 2,000 firefighters were deployed to battle the blaze. As of Tuesday, 819 workers were still assigned to the fire, which destroyed 20 buildings and injured 28 others, according to Cal Fire.
Firefighters are focused on strengthening fire control lines in the steep, rugged terrain and putting out any small fires around buildings, the agency said.
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