Los Angeles County firefighters responded to a brush fire call at 10:50 p.m. Monday before strong winds in Santa Ana quickly escalated the fire’s severity. The fire broke out around 3 a.m. Tuesday on the Pacific Coast Highway near the Malibu Pier as hundreds of firefighters battled to contain the blaze in winds of 50 to 80 miles per hour.

The Franklin Fire burned about 2,200 acres in eastern Malibu at 7 a.m. About 6,000 residents live in the evacuation zone. According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the fire could not be contained with about 2,000 structures threatened by the evacuation order, which eventually extended to West LA, including much of the Santa Monica Mountains.

When the wind died down around daybreak, firefighters had a chance to tackle the flames. Firefighting helicopters used water from the lakes at Pepperdine Alumni Park to extinguish the flames, the university said.

At a news conference Tuesday morning, L.A. County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said only a minimal number of homes had been destroyed and there were no reports of serious injuries or deaths. The coastal region of Southern California remains under imminent threat and is on alert. This is a continuation of Monday’s “extremely critical” fire alert as the region faced strong winds.

The current red flag warning is expected to remain active until 8am Wednesday as strong winds and low humidity continue into tomorrow. The LA County Fire Department opened an investigation into the origins of the brush fire.

Areas across LA are at risk from the Franklin Fire, including Thousand Oaks, Camarillo, Santa Clarita, Santa Paulina, Calabasas and more, leaving approximately 18,000 people in affected regions.

More than 700 firefighters are currently responding to the Franklin fire as wind gusts of up to 60 miles per hour are expected from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Tuesday. Malibu and Pepperdine city schools will be closed Tuesday as people shelter in place and prepare to evacuate.

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Gov. Gavin Newsom’s (D-CA) office announced early Tuesday morning that he had received a firefighting assistance grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, adding additional costs to firefighting.

“Firefighters and first responders work tirelessly to protect lives and property. “I urge all residents in affected areas to remain vigilant and follow evacuation orders,” Newsom wrote on X.