Firefighters continue to battle the flames of a 2,200-acre wildfire that triggered evacuation orders and prompted Pepperdine University to issue a shelter-in-place order late Monday in Malibu as the Southland is hit with elevated winds amid a red flag warning.
The blaze, dubbed the Franklin Fire, was reported sometime around 11:15 p.m. at Malibu Canyon Road, north of Francisco Ranch Road. Due to the blaze, Malibu Canyon Road will be closed until further notice between Pacific Coast Highway and Mulholland Highway.
A news conference is expected at 8 a.m. at the LA County Fire Department’s Zuma Beach Lifeguard Tower in Malibu.
A mandatory evacuation order is in effect for areas east of Malibu Canyon Road and south of Piuma Road, as well as the Serra Retreat area.
Sheriff’s deputies went door to door, alerting residents to evacuate.
As of Tuesday morning, all schools in the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District are closed due to the Franklin Fire.
Additional road closures can be found on the LA County Public Works website.
According to Caltrans, Pacific Coast Highway is closed, except for evacuations, between Topanga Canyon Blvd and Corral Canyon Road.
Tuesday morning, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office issued a statement on X saying that “California has secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant from FEMA to help ensure the availability of vital resources to suppress the fire.”
The National Weather Service said north to northeast winds have the potential to increase to 30 to 40 mph with gusts potentially reaching 65 mph overnight amid the firefight. According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the blaze is burning east and moving toward the top of Piuma Road.
In a social media post, Pepperdine University announced it activated its shelter-in-place protocol.
“All community members on the Malibu campus are directed to shelter in place in the Tyler Campus Center or Payson Library,” the university said on its post. “Despite any evacuation orders from Malibu city or surrounding areas, the University community should follow University instructions.”
The City of Malibu announced a large animal evacuation site has been set up at the Palisades Recreation Center, which is located at 851 Alma Real Dr. A large animal shelter is available at Pierce College in Woodland Hills.
Due to the fire, LA County activated an emergency webpage to keep residents up to date on the blaze. To keep up with the county’s latest information on the fire, click here.
A spokesperson for LA Mayor Karen Bass said her office is aware of the fire.
“The Office of Mayor Karen Bass is tracking the fire in Malibu and encourages Angelenos to follow instructions from public safety officials,” the representative said in a statement.
