Containment of the Franklin Fire in Malibu grew to 35% Saturday, while the fire size remained at 4,037 acres, officials said.
Firefighters have made steady progress on the destructive wildfire that erupted Monday, helped by cool weather, higher humidity and the absence of strong winds that fueled the blaze Monday and Tuesday. With the damage estimate 80% complete, authorities were reporting that 19 structures have been destroyed (right single-family dwellings and 11 outbuildings), and 23 structures have been damaged (14 single-family dwellings, one multi -family dwelling, four commercial, and four outbuildings).
At the height of the fire, roughly 20,000 people were under either evacuation orders or warnings. On Friday afternoon, Malibu city spokesman Matt Myerhoff announced that all evacuation orders had been reduced to warnings, allowing all residents to return to their homes.
“This significant milestone reflects the progress made by our first responders and partner agencies in ensuring the safety of our community,” Myerhoff said in a statement.
The city of Malibu announced Saturday morning that Pacific Coast Highway is fully open for traffic, but Malibu Canyon remains closed.
The city will open a local assistance center at Malibu City Hall on Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and will hold a community meeting on Wednesday.
Up-to-date information on road closures can be found at https://pw.lacounty.gov/roadclosures.
The blaze began shortly before 11 p.m. Monday in a Malibu Canyon area where a high volume of dry brush contributed to the rapid spread of the blaze. It erupted in the midst of a rare “particularly dangerous situation red flag warning” issued by the National Weather Service in response to strong wind gusts and dramatically dry conditions.
The cause of the fire was still under investigation.
Pepperdine University reported power outages and activated a shelter- in-place protocol early Tuesday morning. That order was lifted later that morning, although students and staff were urged to stay off the local roads. Final exams at the university were postponed and campus operations were suspended, with much of the campus without power.
All Malibu schools within the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District were closed through Friday due to continued restrictions in the area. The district’s Santa Monica schools remained open.
The Santa Monica College Malibu Campus was also closed through Friday.
City officials also said Saturday that all Malibu parks were open, except Malibu Bluff’s Park, Temporary Skate Park and Pool.
Southern California Edison officials began restoring power to several neighborhoods late Wednesday afternoon once the red flag warning was lifted, but some areas were still impacted.
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger signed a local declaration of emergency in response to the fire early Tuesday morning. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that the state had secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to assist with the firefight.
“Fire officials and first responders are working relentlessly to protect lives and property from the Franklin Fire,” Newsom said in a statement. “California is grateful for this federal support, which bolsters these efforts.”
–City News Service
