A wind-driven wildfire burning in Malibu grew by hundreds of acres overnight and was burning in a southwesterly direction Wednesday morning.
The Franklin Fire remains a major threat to homes and prompted the evacuation of the Malibu Beach RV park on the 25800 block of Pacific Coast Highway.
As of 4:25 a.m. Wednesday, the fire was mapped at 3,893 acres with no containment. The cause was still under investigation.
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Sky5 view of the Franklin Fire in Malibu on Dec. 10, 2024. (KTLA) -
The Franklin Fire burns in Malibu, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) -
Smoke rises over Malibu as the Franklin Fire burns on Dec. 10, 2024. Photo taken at 7:27 a.m. (AlertCalifornia) -
A vehicle burns during the Franklin Fire on the campus of Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer) -
A firefighter sprays water as the Franklin Fire burns on December 10, 2024 on Malibu, California. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) -
Firefighters work as the Franklin Fire burns near a building on December 10, 2024 in Malibu, California. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) -
Crews battle the Franklin Fire as it grows to over 1,600 acres as of 3:45 a.m. Dec. 10 in the hills of Malibu amidst a Potentially Dangerous Situation (PDS) Red Flag Warning high-wind weather event. (RMG News)
The flames continued to burn amid strong winds and low humidity in steep rugged terrain with over 1,500 firefighters assigned to the incident.
Crews are relying heavily on water-dropping aircraft but those alone will not put out the fire, Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony Marrone said.
“We always have to follow up with personnel on the ground to actually cut a physical line around the fire,” Marrone said.
In a Tuesday evening news conference, fire officials said that preliminary information suggests seven structures have been destroyed and another eight have been damaged, though damage assessment teams will be back out Wednesday to inspect additional areas.
Evacuation orders remain in place for areas South of Piuma Road, north of the Pacific Ocean coastline, east of Puerco Canyon Road/Corral Canyon Park and west of Los Flores Canyon Road. Also the areas between the Pacific Ocean coastline and Tuna Canyon Park to the west of Tuna Canyon Road, according to the County of Los Angeles emergency website.
Evacuation shelters have been opened at the Palisades Recreation Center at 851 Alma Real Drive in Pacific Palisades and the Santa Monica Unified School District at 2828 4th Street in Santa Monica where pet crates are welcomed.
Large animals can be taken to Pierce College at 6201 Winnetka Avenue in Woodland Hills.
Officials confirmed that a news conference is scheduled for 8 a.m. Wednesday to provide further details on the Franklin Fire.
The wildfire was first reported at 10:50 p.m. Monday when it was spotted burning along Malibu Canyon Road.
