Firefighters worked overnight to control a dangerous fire that burned homes in Malibu and forced thousands from their homes.

The Franklin Fire continued to threaten the coastal city overnight, burning near some homes and causing some water drops from helicopters. A red flag fire warning remains in effect for the area until 6pm. However, the wind is expected to weaken after that and firefighters hope to make progress.

At least seven homes were destroyed and eight damaged, but officials said the number could rise as they conduct more comprehensive assessments. It had burned more than 3,900 acres and was 7% contained as of Wednesday morning, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

The fire was reported a few minutes before 11 p.m. Monday along Malibu Canyon Road in the hills north of Pepperdine University and was fueled by strong Santa Ana winds, Cal Fire said.

More than 1,500 firefighters battled the blaze at the scene on Tuesday, setting up containment lines as air tankers dropped water on the blaze.

By Tuesday evening, average wind speeds around the fire zone had slowed to 15 to 25 miles per hour – a significant decrease compared to peak wind gusts of up to 65 miles per hour recorded when the fire first ignited, said Rose Schoenfeld, a meteorologist of the National Weather Service.

Behind the security gates of Serra Retreat is a small enclave of luxury homes, home to celebrities such as Patrick Dempsey, Dick Van Dyke and, once upon a time, Mel Gibson. The first night of the fire caught many people in the area by surprise. According to residents, pets were killed and several cars and houses were burned, including one on Mariposa De Oro Street.

Van Dyke wrote on Facebook that he and his wife, Arlene Silver, had evacuated their home.

“Arlene and I evacuated safely with our animals, except Bobo was able to escape upon exiting,” he wrote, referring to his cat. “We pray that he is well and that our community at Serra Retreat survives these terrible fires.”

Alec Gellis, 31, rode his e-bike around the neighborhood checking houses on Tuesday afternoon. He and a friend stayed behind overnight Monday into Tuesday to protect properties in the area. The fire broke out quickly, he said. At around 11 p.m. he was in his room when he heard people screaming and cars honking outside.

“The sky was red and the whole canyon on the other side was lit up,” he said. “We were surrounded by flames. Literally everywhere you looked there was fire.”

He and his friend, 33-year-old Abel Rodgers, grabbed a hose attached to a machine that pumped water from the pool and began spraying their home. Firefighters were busy pushing back the flames, so for five hours the two men soaked everything they could, even venturing into neighbors’ yards to help put out local fires.

Rich Leo was stranded at a gas station on Pacific Coast Highway as spot fires burned near Malibu on Tuesday.

He parked his SUV at a Chevron gas station, low on gas, and considered leaving the area to fill up.

“But I don’t know if I could go back home,” said Leo, 79, as he stood in front of the gas station where there was no electricity.

A long-time resident for over 40 years, Leo remembers when the Woolsey Fire burned through Malibu and to the coast.

“That was bad,” he said of the Franklin fire. “It kept jumping and everywhere I looked I saw fire last night.”

The fire had only been burning for a few hours when firefighters knocked on the door of his townhouse near Winter Canyon Road around 1 a.m., but he refused to leave. He worried about staff at the nearby Our Lady of Malibu Catholic Church and School.

He wanted to stay behind to make sure everyone was okay.

At the nearby church, a single parishioner rode his bike to school. The fire burned to the property line, scorching wooden fence posts and vegetation, but firefighters were able to keep the fire from touching the property.

There was no staff other than one man who identified himself as Mike walked across the school grounds, where the gates were open and all the taps were running.

“I just wanted to make sure everyone was OK and the school was okay,” Mike said. “My kids came here when they were little,” he said. “My house burned down in the Woolsey fire, so I know what it means when that happens.”

He walked through a kindergarten classroom as firefighting helicopters rumbled against the windows above him. Then a man emerged from the undergrowth with a blue bucket filled with water from a tap.

“I’m just trying to do what I can,” said the man who was putting out a smoldering fire on the fence line. He refused to give his name, saying only that he lived on the hillside around the school.