Thousands in Malibu are under evacuation orders and without power as winds fan wildfires

Thousands of Southern California residents were under orders and warnings on Tuesday as firefighters battled a wind-driven wildfire in Malibu that burned near celebrity beach homes, horse farms and Pepperdine University, where students watched as flames descended on hillsides and the sky turned deep red. .

A “small number” of homes were burned, but the exact number was not immediately known, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony C. Marrone said. An Associated Press photographer saw at least one house and car engulfed in flames.

More than 8,100 houses and other structures were at risk, including more than 2,000 where residents were ordered to evacuate. Another 6,000 people have been warned to be ready to evacuate as Santa Ana packs winds of up to 40 mph (64 km/h) for choppy fire conditions.

Pepperdine junior Abigail Ballhagen was in the school's library when the power went out late Monday and students started screaming. Later, the school moved students out of their dormitories and into the library due to worsening conditions.

Ballhagen and Bethany Kronlund, fellow paramedics, said bringing other students there amid the smoke and flames was scary.

“Ash was everywhere, coal was everywhere,” Kronlund said.

Ballhagen added: “It felt like a big apocalypse.”

About 3,000 students hid on campus, a few in the library while others, some in pajamas, gathered outside in the stadium as the fire lit up the night sky. Someone driving an SUV sped past burning palm trees as the tires kicked up coals.

Later, the university said that the bad fire had passed through the school. Michael Friel, a spokesman for Pepperdine, said parts of the facility were “singed” but there was no major damage.

No catch so far

It was not yet known how the Franklin Fire started. County fire officials estimated that more than 10 square kilometers of trees and dry brush burned and buildings were threatened. There was no catch.

The fire burned amid dangerous fire conditions due to Santa Ana's notorious winds that are expected to continue through Wednesday. Withering and dry storms sweep inland toward the coast, pushing back the sea breeze.

Dick Van Dyke, one of the many celebrities who own homes in Malibu, said he and his wife Arlene Silver were out when the fire broke out. The actor turns 99 on Friday.

“Arlene and I got out safely with our animals except that Bobo ran away when we got out,” said Van Dyke, talking about one of their cats. “We pray that he recovers and that our community at Serra Retreat survives this terrible fire.”

Marrone said at least 1,000 firefighters will be scrambling to control the blaze before the afternoon, when the wind is expected to pick up again.

“Time is important for us to catch fire and start finding something,” the king said at a morning press conference.

The fire broke out shortly before 11 pm local time on Monday and quickly moved south, crossing the famous Pacific Coast Highway and reaching the sea, where large homes along the coast and rugged inland canyons are notorious for burning.

At one point, flames threatened the historic Malibu Pier, but the building was safe, officials said.

Nick Smyth, 43, lives on the Serra Retreat community farm, a short drive inland from the fishing grounds. His wife packed her escape bags before they went to bed on Monday and a few hours later they heard a neighbor running down the street shouting about fire. With the flames “eating up the mountaintops,” Smyth packed up their two children and fled to a friend's home outside Malibu.

“My son is a little bit shocked, he's feeling worried,” Smyth said Tuesday. “They were awakened by a fire burning outside their bedroom.”

He says he believes that their house is safe, but he knows that others are not so lucky. Some of his neighbors stayed behind to stop the flames and take care of the horses.

Firefighters working in rugged terrain protected homes in the canyons throughout the night as some residents came out on foot and with their horses.

Winds are expected to rise

As the sun rose Tuesday, heavy smoke billowed over the Pepperdine campus and the nearby mountains that sloped down the coast. The shelter-in-place order was lifted but the school canceled classes and finals on Tuesday.

“The university understands that the worst fire has passed through Pepperdine. However, there are small fires in the campus area that do not threaten life or buildings, and firefighters are still on campus to deal with these fires as they occur,” said Pepperdine. statement.

North to northeast winds are expected to increase to 48-64 km/h with gusts up to 105 km/h expected later in the day, the National Weather Service office in Los Angeles wrote on X.

Power to about 40,000 customers was out Monday night, including 11,000 in LA County, as Southern California Edison worked to mitigate the impact of Santa Ana's strong winds that could damage electrical equipment and spark wildfires. Gabriela Ornelas, an Edison spokeswoman, said power was lost to most customers in Malibu around 6 or 7 p.m. local time Monday.

The Woolsey fire that raged in Malibu in 2018, killing three people and destroying 1,600 homes, was caused by Edison equipment.