The Franklin Fire in Malibu has burned 4,037 acres as of Thursday morning and remains 7% contained. Thousands of households remain under evacuation orders.

In total, the Franklin Fire destroyed nine buildings and damaged six. Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony Morrone said Wednesday’s weather conditions, including strong winds and low humidity, “will be closely monitored today as they will play a critical role in fire behavior.”

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) said firefighters are working aggressively to control the fire along the surrounding area and protect buildings. “The deep and rugged terrain, along with strong winds and low humidity, continue to present a challenge to firefighters,” the agency said Wednesday morning.

On Thursday morning, Cal Fire said firefighters were making steady progress as “moderate fire behavior was observed” Wednesday.

The red flag warning for the Malibu coast ended Wednesday afternoon.

According to the Los Angeles County Fire Department, the large fire was first reported just after 10:50 p.m. Monday near South Malibu Canyon Road and Station Boundary, south of the Piuma area. As of Tuesday around 4:40 p.m., Cal Fire estimated the area to be over 3,000 acres. According to the state agency, the wildfire spread to 4,031 acres as of Wednesday afternoon.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said Wednesday that there were about 19,982 people and 7,560 structures in the affected area. Of the 7,560 buildings, about 12,600 people were under evacuation orders. Around 7,382 people were under evacuation warning.

“From the information we have, there are no reports of serious injuries or deaths, and that is a major victory – and that is because of the work that has been done,” Luna said.

LAFD Chief Marrone said what started as a 5-acre fire on Malibu Canyon Road quickly spread due to Santa Ana winds.

The flames quickly spread to Pepperdine University overnight.

By 3 a.m., the Franklin Fire was spreading south along the Pacific Coast Highway to Malibu Road near Webb Way. It moved toward Malibu Pier and threatened some nearby structures along Malibu Knolls Road and the Sweetwater Mesa area.

Matt Myerhoff, a spokesman for the city of Malibu, said early Tuesday morning that the pier was safe.

“I think the structures affected here will be predominantly residential,” he said.

“We continue to face an imminent threat due to red flag conditions,” Myerhoff said. “We would like to achieve some containment by this afternoon.”

By Wednesday, the flames had completely changed direction, from burning east and north to marching west.

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

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday that the state has received a fire relief assistance grant from FEMA to ensure resources are available to fight the fire.

Fire investigators are investigating the cause of the fire.

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Evacuations in Malibu

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna issued the following evacuation update Wednesday morning:

Evacuation warnings – south of Mulholland Highway, north of Pacific Coast Highway, east of Trancas and west of Crestline. Residents in these areas should continue to be prepared to evacuate if conditions worsen.

Evacuation orders – south of Piuma Road, east of Corral Canyon and west of Big Rock.

For more information on evacuations, visit the City of Malibu website.

A list of shelters for displaced residents and animals:

• Palisades Recreation Center: 851 Alma Real Dr., Pacific Palisades, CA 90272
• Calabasas Community Center: 27040 Malibu Hills Rd., Calabasas, CA 91301
• Santa Monica Unified School District: 2828 4th St., Santa Monica, CA 90405 (Pet cages welcome)
• Agoura Animal Care Center: 29525 Agoura Rd., Agoura Hills, CA 91301 (for small animals)
• Pierce College: 6201 Winnetka Ave., Woodland Hills, CA 91367 (for large animals)

Malibu city officials set up an emergency response center at Zuma Beach to provide affected residents with updates, food, water and first aid. Officials closed the Pacific Palisades Recreation Center on Alma Real Drive.

“The way the sheriff’s department does evacuations is they go door to door. They drive through the streets with a blowhorn and knock on every single door. They wake people up and get them out of their houses,” said Myerhoff.

He said he is using the lessons learned 2018 Woolsey FireFirst responders communicate using LA-RICS radios purchased by the city because power outages affect cell service and all other forms of communication.

“We are safe. All retreats have been safely evacuated,” Serra Retreat said. “It looks like the fire is on the grounds of the retreat center, but there are several fire engines there. Hopefully they can contain it.”

A resident named Linda said her boss’s house was destroyed while she was trying to evacuate horses.

“It’s happening so quickly,” she said. “I’m worried about two horses I left there. I know the house is gone. I went back there to find the two horses, but it was too dangerous.”

According to the City of Malibu, Malibu City Hall, parks and facilities were closed Tuesday and all programs and gatherings were suspended.

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

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

Roads affected in Malibu

There is no estimated time for this when many roads reopen. Traffic signals are turned off in areas with power outages. The following closures will continue to apply as of Thursday morning:

• Tuna Canyon on the Pacific Coast Highway
• Kanan on the Pacific Coast Highway
• Saddle Peak in Tuna Canyon
• Stunt Road on Mulholland Highway
• Cold Canyon on Piuma Road
• Piuma Road at Malibu Canyon to Pacific Coast Highway

“Stay away from the Malibu area at all costs if you can,” said Deputy Tracy Koerner.

Fire approaches Pepperdine University

Pepperdine school officials continue to closely monitor the fire since it was first ignited Monday evening. Officials initially released the statement saying the fire did not affect the university campus, but that “some power outages may occur on the Malibu campus and surrounding areas related to this incident.”

But at 1:10 a.m. Tuesday, the fire crept closer to the university, forcing the administration to issue a shelter-in-place order.

The university has since reinstated and lifted protective measures as fire conditions fluctuated in the area. Power was restored to campus shortly after 8 a.m.

The original shelter-in-place order directed students and residents to gather in two central locations on campus. Several students were preparing for final exams when they received notifications from the school management.

“All community members on the Malibu campus are directed to seek shelter at the Tyler Campus Center or Payson Library,” the administration wrote on “

The administration stated that its “protocol will be approved by and implemented in collaboration with LA County Fire.” All classes and final exams have been canceled for the rest of the week.

The worst of the fire had passed Pepperdine by 3:30 a.m. Tuesday, but hotspots remained around campus.

Classes and final exams have been canceled for the rest of the week.

School closures in Malibu

The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District announced that all schools in Malibu are closed through December 12th.

The closures affect Webster Elementary, Malibu Elementary, Malibu Middle and Malibu High School. All schools in Santa Monica remain open.

“Currently, many Webster families are under evacuation orders, and several families in other Malibu neighborhoods are under evacuation watch due to the Franklin Fire. “Our district’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is closely monitoring the situation and we stand ready to respond if conditions continue to develop,” wrote Superintendent Dr. Antonio Shelton in a community announcement.

The Los Angeles Unified School District, which has schools in the neighboring Topanga and Pacific Palisades areas, said schools are open and they are “closely monitoring the Franklin Fire and its potential impact on our communities.”

Power Shutoffs for Public Safety

Southern California Edison reported Thursday that there were no customers without power in Los Angeles County due to safety shutdowns. They said a shutdown is being considered for 1,414 customers in the county.

At the start of the fire, the City of Malibu deployed interchangeable signs and backup generators to maintain traffic signal operation at PCH. The city also noted that in the event of a power outage and spotty cell service, residents can monitor the local AM and FM radio stations as well as 99.1 FM KBUU for emergency information.

Red flag warning

Weather officials expressed concerns about the fire risk that would affect most of Southern California. Unusually low humidity coupled with a powerful Santa Ana winds movement Dangerous conditions arose which led to them issuing a “particularly dangerous situation warning” from Monday evening until 6pm on Wednesday.

In response, SoCal Edison warned tens of thousands of residents across LA County that their service may be suspended if winds increase.

The conditions are similar to the weather when the A mountain fire broke out in Ventura County Beginning of November. The fire burned nearly 20,000 hectares of land and destroyed more than 200 buildings.

This is a developing story. Further information can be found here.