Franklin wildfire forces evacuations as homes destroyed in Malibu

Thousands have been ordered to evacuate near the city of Malibu in the US state of California after a fast-moving wildfire broke out and burned hundreds of acres – including several homes.

The blaze has been dubbed the Franklin Fire by authorities, who say it started in Malibu Canyon at about 22:50 local time on Monday (06:50 GMT).

A mandatory evacuation order is in place for a wide swathe of Malibu. No injuries have been reported but the blaze has destroyed multiple houses.

It is not yet clear what caused the fire but the region has been under a red-flag warning, meaning conditions are ripe for extreme fires.

Malibu itself is a small, upmarket city west of Los Angeles that is popular with celebrities. Homes owned by stars including Lady Gaga, Beyonce and Jay Z were reportedly among those in the evacuation zone.

More than 2,700 acres of land have so far been burned, according to the latest update from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).

Photos showed the aftermath of the blaze’s path, with burned out cars and buses as well as the charred remains of homes.

Schools in the area have closed, roads are shut, and power has been cut in the area to prevent worsening the blaze.

Meanwhile, evacuation centres have been opened for residents and animals. More than 5,000 people were in the evacuation zone, according to data from Cal Fire.

The blaze broke out near Pepperdine University, a private ocean-side school. The university had ordered students to shelter in place but has since lifted those orders, though the school continues to encourage students to remain on campus since nearby roads are closed for crews fighting the blaze. Power to the much of the campus and wider area had been cut and was expected to stay that way for the “foreseeable future”, the school added.

Footage showed students at the school sheltering in the school’s library as a wall of fire approached on Monday evening. Fire crews hosed down the flames. The school reported there was minor damage on campus but no students or staff had been injured.

Wildfires more generally in California have the capacity to burn through tens of thousands of acres of vegetation due to the typical dry conditions in the region, meaning that this blaze is relatively small – although officials were quick to highlight its speed of spread.

Malibu city authorities initially said the fire was about three miles (4.8km) north of the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) – an iconic road along the Pacific Ocean known for its stunning views – but it quickly spread south across the road into the Malibu Pier area. The pier itself and other structures had been affected, they said.

The evacuation order covered a region that included east of Malibu Canyon Road and South of Puma Road as well as the Serra Retreat area, the County of Los Angeles Fire Department said.

A map of the blaze shows it was bordering city hall government facilities, a school and a number of homes in the area – including a line of ocean-front properties.

The latest incident comes about a month after another fire forced thousands of people to evacuate another nearby city, Moorpark.

California is a state that is prone to wildfires. The amount of burned areas in the summer in northern and central California increased five times from 1996 to 2021 compared with the 24-year period before, which scientists have attributed to human-caused climate change.

Not all wildfires can automatically be linked directly to climate change. The science is complicated and human factors, including how we manage land and forests, also contribute.

However, scientists say that climate change is making weather conditions that lead to wildfires, such as heat and drought, more likely.

Have you been asked to evacuate because of the fire? Get in touch.