Dick Van Dyke, Cher among those forced to flee Malibu homes in wake of wildfire

MALIBU, Cali. (KTLA) — Dick Van Dyke and his wife, Arlene Silver, were among those forced to flee for safety in the face of the devastating Franklin Fire raging in Malibu, California.

The legendary entertainer, who is just days from his 99th birthday, revealed in a post to Facebook on Tuesday that the two had escaped their home ahead of the flames.

“Arlene and I have safely evacuated with our animals except Bobo escaped as we were leaving,” Van Dyke explained. “We’re praying he’ll be ok and that our community in Serra Retreat will survive these terrible fires.”

Bobo is the couple’s cat. In another post to the platform, the award-winning actor posted a video of the feline.

The “Mary Poppins” star wasn’t the only one in harm’s way.

Cher’s publicist, Liz Rosenberg, told The New York Times that the singer and her pets evacuated to a hotel on Monday night. Other stars like Barbra Streisand and Jonah Hill live in the mandatory evacuation zones but haven’t clarified if they’ve left.

As of Wednesday morning, the Franklin Fire has burned 3,983 acres and is 7% contained. Officials reported significant overnight growth of a wind-driven wildfire but forecasters said firefighters would get a break from improving weather conditions.

“The deep and rugged terrain, along with the strong winds and low humidity, continue to pose challenges for firefighters,” the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, said in an incident update.

Even as the weather was expected to improve, forecasters said gusty winds will continue through Wednesday morning, especially in the mountains, and critical fire conditions remain. Santa Anas are notorious seasonal winds that are withering, dry gusts that sweep out of the interior toward the coast, pushing back moist ocean breezes.

Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony C. Marrone said the blaze grew by nearly 40% overnight. At least 7,500 structures, mostly homes, were threatened, with at least 12,600 people under evacuation orders, officials said.

Much of the devastation occurred in Malibu, a community of about 10,000 people on the western edge of Los Angeles known for its stunning bluffs and Zuma Beach, which features in many Hollywood films. Flames burned near celebrities’ seaside mansions, horse farms and Pepperdine University, where about 3,000 students were forced to shelter in place on campus. Many evacuated their dorms to the library through smoke and ash as flames roared in the canyon nearby.

An early analysis showed little to no damage to structures on campus, the university said in an update Tuesday night. Fire activity was diminished, but some flames were still visible.

It isn’t known how the blaze started. Marrone said seven structures had been destroyed and nine others had been damaged.

The fire erupted shortly before 11 p.m. Monday and swiftly moved south, jumping over the famous Pacific Coast Highway and extending all the way to the ocean, where large homes line the beach and rugged inland canyons are notoriously fire-prone. At one point, flames threatened the historic Malibu Pier, but the structure was protected, officials said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.