Franklin Fire forces evacuations in Malibu as red flag warnings continue

A large brush fire is burning in Malibu Canyon near Pepperdine University, prompting evacuations for residents. 

The blaze, dubbed the Franklin Fire, was first reported a little after 10:45 p.m. near S. Malibu Canyon Road and Station Boundary just south of the Piuma area, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. 

The fire has already engulfed 1,674 acres, according to Cal Fire. While officials have not released concrete numbers of how many structures have burned, witnesses and fire crews have told KCAL News some homes have been destroyed. 

Just before 1 a.m., the flames crept over the top of the hill as the strong winds fueled their rapid spread towards Pepperdine. By 3 a.m. the Franklin Fire spread south across the Pacific Coast Highway to Malibu Road, near Webb Way. It encroached on the Malibu Pier area and threatened some nearby structures near Malibu Knolls Road and Sweetwater Canyon. 

Multiple water-dropping aircraft were called to the scene as crews deemed the blaze a Third Alarm incident. 

It's unclear how the fire started. 

Evacuations

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputies were working to evacuate residents living in zone MAL-C112, which includes the area east of Malibu Canyon Road and South of Piuma Road as well as the Serra Retreat. More information on evacuations is available on the Malibu city website. 

"We are safe. All retreats evacuated safely," the Serra Retreat Center said. "Looks like the fire is on the retreat center property but there are several fire trucks there. Hopefully, they can contain it. "  

Below is a real-time map outlining evacuation orders and warnings.

A temporary evacuation center was opened as the Palisades Recreation Center, located at 851 Alma Real Drive. Large animals could be taken to Pierce College in Winnetka. 

Pacific Coast Highway has closed, except for evacuations, between Topanga Canyon Boulevard and Corral Canyon Road. 

Fire approaches Pepperdine University 

Pepperdine school officials released a statement to note that they were closely monitoring the fire. 

"The fire is not currently affecting any University campus," the statement said. "The Malibu Campus and local area may experience some power outages related to this incident."

However, at 1:10 a.m. the fire continued to crawl closer and closer to the university, forcing the administration to issue a shelter-in-place order. 

"All community members on the Malibu campus are directed to shelter in place in the Tyler Campus Center or Payson Library," the administration posted on X. "Despite any evacuation orders from Malibu city or surrounding areas, the University community should follow University instructions."

The administration stated that their "protocol is approved by LA County Fire and executed with their cooperation."

Pepperdine canceled all classes and finals for Tuesday following the fire. 

"Normal operations on the Malibu Campus are suspended for Tuesday. This includes canceling classes and finals for the day," the university tweeted. 

The worst of the fire pushed past Pepperdine by 3:30 a.m., but some smaller blazes continued to burn around the campus. The hotspots did not threaten structures or lives, according to the administration. 

"Additionally, power remains out for much of Malibu and therefore, to ensure the safety of our community, we will maintain the shelter-in-place protocol until at least daylight," the university posted on X. "The EOC will continue to update the community."

Red flag warning 

Weather officials raised concerns over fire danger that would impact most of Southern California to start the way. Unusually low humidity paired with a powerful Santa Ana winds movement created dangerous conditions, which led them to issue a "particularly dangerous situation red flag warning."

In response, SoCal Edison has warned tens of thousands of residents living throughout Los Angeles County that their service may be shut off if the winds intensify. 

Conditions bore similarities to the weather when the Mountain Fire erupted in Ventura County in early November. That blaze torched nearly 20,000 acres and destroyed more than 200 structures. 

This is a developing story. Check back for details.