In Malibu's Franklin Fire, all evacuations lifted after wildfire scorches over 4,000 acres

As firefighters continue making progress on the Franklin Fire, which burned more than 4,000 acres in Malibu this week, mandatory evacuation orders were lifted and downgraded to warnings Friday.

The fire was first reported Monday just after 10:50 p.m. Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony Morrone said the fire began as a 5-acre blaze on Malibu Canyon Road but quickly grew after gusty winds spread embers through the vegetation.  

Over the past day, the now 4,037-acre wildfire has grown by just six acres and firefighters have gotten its containment up to 30% as of Friday, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire. While it continues to smolder in steep, dangerously rugged terrain, Cal Fire officials said, firefighting efforts by air have suppressed the blaze in those areas and kept it from spreading.

Residents who fled the coastal community can now return home while some voluntary evacuation warnings remain in effect. 

"This significant milestone reflects the progress made by our first responders and partner agencies in ensuring the safety of our community," the city of Malibu said in a statement Friday afternoon announcing the lifting of mandatory evacuations.

According to Cal Fire, cooler weather and increased humidity has also helped with firefighter efforts while winds have died down. When the wildfire first sparked late Monday night, Santa Ana winds had fueled its spread as it grew to 2,600 acres within a day.

While announcing the lifting of evacuations, Malibu city officials told those driving in the affected areas — such as along the Pacific Coast Highway — to use caution when traveling through.

 All lanes of the PCH were reopened both directions Friday, according to Caltrans officials.

More than 2,000 firefighters have battled the flames, and since it exploded in size Monday night, 12 structures have been destroyed including at least six homes and six outbuildings, according to city officials. 

"I'm worried about two horses that I left in there. I know the house is gone," said Linda, a woman who said her boss' house was destroyed while she was trying to evacuate horses there. "I went back in there to find the two horses but it was too dangerous."

Another 11 structures were damaged including 10 single-family homes and one outbuilding. 

Smoke advisories issued earlier in the week, warning of potentially harmful air quality from the ash, are no longer in effect.

As authorities began allowing residents to return home, some braced themselves as they headed back to see the damage.

"I grabbed a few things threw them in a van and took off and that was it," said Shawn Smith, a Malibu resident impacted by the fire. "I'm just now returning to see how lucky we got."

Red flag warnings have expired, and winds have calmed down, providing better weather conditions. Crews battling the fire on the ground have received assistance from water-dropping aircrafts.

The morning after the fire started, flames had spread south across Pacific Coast Highway to Malibu Road, near Webb Way. By Wednesday, the direction of the fire had shifted from burning east and north to moving west.

"Containment lines were improved with fire retardant drops and construction of new hand lines to connect the gaps along the rugged eastern edge of the fire," Marrone said.

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday that the state secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant from FEMA to ensure resources are available to help fight the blaze.

Officials have not identified a cause of the fire.

Evacuation warnings and road closures in Malibu

A full list of remaining voluntary evacuation warnings and road closures can be found here.

Pepperdine University impacts

Flames rapidly spread etching closure to Pepperdine University Tuesday morning forcing the university to issue shelter-in-place orders. Students and residents were instructed to gather in two central locations.

The orders were lifted and reinstated as fire conditions near campus fluctuated.

Power was restored to the campus Wednesday morning.

The university canceled classes and final exams for the remainder of the week.

The administration stated that their "protocol is approved by LA County Fire and executed with their cooperation." All classes and finals have been canceled for the remainder of the week. 

The worst of the fire pushed past Pepperdine by 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday, but hotspots continued to linger around the campus. 

Malibu school closures

The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District announced that all Malibu schools were closed until Thursday, Dec. 12.

The closures are in effect for Webster Elementary, Malibu Elementary, Malibu Middle and Malibu High School.

The Los Angeles Unified School District, with schools in the neighboring Topanga and Pacific Palisades area, said schools are open and they are "closely monitoring the Franklin Fire and its potential impact on our communities."

Public safety power shutoffs

As of Thursday morning, Southern California Edison reported no customers in LA County were without power due to public safety power shutoffs. They said 1,414 customers in the county were under consideration for shutoffs.