A wildfire in Malibu, California, exploded overnight, prompting evacuations and a brief shelter-in-place protocol at Pepperdine University.
The Franklin Fire broke out shortly before 11 p.m. local time Monday (2 a.m. ET Tuesday) in the Malibu Canyon area, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The blaze comes as many parts of Southern California are under red flag warnings because of strong Santa Ana winds, low humidity and dry vegetation — conditions ripe for dangerous wildfires.
By around 10:30 a.m. local time Tuesday, the fire had grown to nearly 2,600 acres and was 0% contained.
According to the city of Malibu, the blaze has spread across the Pacific Coast Highway (also known as Highway 1) toward the Malibu Pier area — a tourist attraction also beloved by locals and surfers.
“Malibu Pier and other structures are impacted,” the city said.
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said in a news briefing on Tuesday that “a minimal number” of homes had been destroyed but did not say how many. No serious injuries or fatalities have been reported so far, he said.
The Malibu area remains under threat, Marrone added, and “time is of the essence” as crews in the air and on the ground battle the fire on steep and challenging terrain.
“The current red flag alert is projected to continue through Wednesday evening at 8pm for strong winds and low humidities,” he said.
Local officials said that approximately 18,000 people and 8,100 structures are in the affected area, with most under evacuation warnings.
A mandatory evacuation order is in place east of Malibu Canyon Road, south of Piuma Road and in the Serra Retreat area, fire officials said. The Palisades Recreation Center is being used as an evacuation center.
A firefighter sprays water as the Franklin Fire burns in Malibu, Calif., on Tuesday.
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said Tuesday on X that the state had secured a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency “to help ensure the availability of vital resources to suppress the fire.”
Marrone said that he hopes the blaze will be somewhat contained by Tuesday afternoon, but that ongoing windy conditions could pose problems.
“Rest assured, we are going to have a coordinated air and ground assault on this fire for as long as it takes,” he said.
The cause of the fire is not yet known, but Marrone said it is under investigation by the fire department and by arson investigators at the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department.
Each year, around 10% to 15% of California’s wildfires are caused by arson, but higher temperatures and intensifying drought conditions — both a result of climate change — are increasing the overall risk that blazes ignite and spread quickly.
“It’s undeniable, from my perspective, that global warming is causing more challenges for us,” Marrone said.
A firefighter pulls a water hose as the Franklin Fire burns palm trees in Malibu, Calif., on Tuesday.
The red flag warnings in California affect around 12 million residents from San Luis Obispo down to San Diego. Forecasts suggest wind gusts of 50 to 80 mph are possible, along with a risk of downed trees and power outages.
“A strong, widespread, and long duration Santa Ana Event will bring widespread critical to extremely critical fire weather conditions to many areas of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties trough Wednesday,” the National Weather Service said Monday when it issued the red flag warning.
As of Tuesday morning, the strongest gusts associated with the Santa Ana winds had reached 93 mph on a trail in the San Gabriel Mountains, 77 mph in the Santa Susana Mountains and 74 mph at Ventura County’s Oakridge Oil Field, according to the Los Angeles office of the National Weather Service.
Malibu, a beach city north of Los Angeles known for being home to many celebrities, was one of several areas under a rare “particularly dangerous situation” red flag warning “due to damaging Santa Ana winds and very low humidities,” according to the weather service. The warning went into effect at 8 p.m. local time Monday and was scheduled to last through 2 p.m. Tuesday.
Other areas under the same “particularly dangerous” warning level include the San Gabriel Mountains, Santa Clarita Valley, Calabasas, Ventura County coasts and valleys, and the western San Fernando Valley.
Pepperdine University, located in Malibu, issued a shelter-in-place notice for community members around 1 a.m. local time Tuesday, then lifted the order shortly after 7 a.m. During that time, anyone on campus was directed to shelter at the school’s campus center or library.
Videos on social media showed orange flames visible outside school windows.
In a statement around 7:30 a.m. local time, school officials said it was safe to return to on-campus residences but added that “the community is strongly encouraged to remain on campus and stay off Malibu roads.”
Operations at the university were suspended Tuesday, with classes and finals canceled.
Southern California Edison, a primary utility provider in the area, has implemented power shutoffs for public safety because of the wildfire risk. Those outages impact more than 10,000 customers in Los Angeles County, nearly 9,000 in San Bernardino County, and more than 2,000 in Kern County. Shutoffs are also in effect for much of Malibu, the city said.
All Malibu schools are closed Tuesday.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said her office is monitoring the fire. “Thank you to all first responders working to battle this blaze,” she wrote on X.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com