In Malibu Bluffs Park at the end of Malibu Canyon, the Franklin Fire reached the sea.

The fire leapt across the Pacific Coast Highway, charring the trees and baseball outfields.

This is a hallmark of the Malibu fires, where Santa Ana winds push flames over the mountains and hills to the beach.

The coastal city is used to fires and much of the central part of the city – including Pepperdine University – was under an evacuation order.

Along the Pacific Coast Highway, between Topanga Canyon Boulevard and Malibu Canyon Road, rows of clothing stores and restaurants were closed. A few people stood in front of their beach houses and looked at the smoke rising from the mountains.

Malibu Canyon Road and Pacific Coash Highway were closed to traffic due to the Franklin fire

(Myung J. Chun/Los Angeles Times)

Ash fell on the road as fire trucks and tractor-trailers carrying heavy machinery drove south.

Near the Malibu Pier, a lone surfer caught waves while two lifeguards kept watch from their truck.

The sound of helicopters could be heard in the distance.

The fire burned Malibu Canyon and charred the slopes, but apparently spared dozens of homes as it made its way to the shore. An outbuilding separate from a main home in Malibu Knolls burned, but other homes in the area remained unharmed.

A woman evacuates a horse as the Franklin Fire burns in Malibu early Tuesday.

(Ethan Swope/Associated Press)

In Carbon Canyon, hand crews struggled to cut containment lines around the fire.

Chinook helicopters landed in a lagoon on Pepperdine University’s vast lawn and sucked up water to fight the fire. After a few minutes it took off and headed towards a huge cloud of smoke rising above the civic center.

The sound of the huge rotors echoed through the air, churning the waters of the lagoon into a misty haze.