(KTLA) – Firefighters continued to battle the Santa Ana wind-driven Franklin Fire in Malibu Tuesday morning, and officials say the suppression efforts are far from over.
Crews with the Los Angeles County Fire Department responded to the blaze, which was first reported near Malibu Canyon Road and Station Boundary, around 10:45 p.m. Monday.
As of midday Tuesday, the fire had been mapped at 2,593 acres with no containment. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Evacuation orders remained in effect for several neighborhoods, including the area east of Malibu Canyon Road and south of Piuma Road, as well as the Serra Retreat area. Further orders were issued for Tuna Canyon to Puerco Canyon, and an evacuation warning was issued for Puerco Canyon to Trancas Canyon.
Students and staff at Pepperdine University sheltered in place throughout the firefight overnight rather than evacuate. A spokesperson told KTLA the university was “well-designed” to protect people in the center of campus.
University officials assessed conditions at daybreak and decided to lift their shelter-in-place order, saying that the community is “strongly encouraged” to remain on campus and stay off Malibu roads.
“Campus conditions are safe for members of the community to return to student residences and on-campus homes. The community is strongly encouraged to remain on campus and stay off Malibu roads as first responders continue to respond to the Franklin fire, which continues to threaten Malibu,” the school said on X. “Additionally, ongoing fire suppression efforts on campus continue, and residents are encouraged to limit driving on campus to allow first responders to respond to spot fires which continue to flare up around campus.
Power remains out for much of the campus and Malibu area. Officials added that the shelter-in-place protocol could be put back into place if conditions worsen.
The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District closed all Malibu schools on Tuesday due to the fire, power outages and “other fire concerns.” The closures include Webster Elementary, Malibu Elementary, Malibu Middle School and Malibu High School.
Pacific Coast Highway is shut down until further notice between Kanan Dume Road and Topanga Canyon Boulevard, CHP said just before 6 a.m.
A temporary evacuation center has been opened at the Palisades Recreation Center, located at 851 Alma Real Drive in Pacific Palisades. Pets in crates are welcome at this location.
Small animals that cannot be crated should be taken to the Agoura Animal Care Center, which is located at 29525 Agoura Road in Agoura Hills.
Large animals should be taken to Pierce College, located at 6201 Winnetka Ave. in Woodland Hills.
At a press conference Tuesday morning, officials could not provide an exact count of the damaged or destroyed structures. Still, L.A. County Fire Department Chief Anthony Marrone stated that a “minimal number” of homes had been destroyed.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna provided information indicating that the Franklin Fire was affecting approximately 18,000 people and 8,100 structures as of 8:15 a.m.
Of the 8,100 structures, 2,043 were under mandatory evacuation orders, and 6,046 were under evacuation warnings.
