A rapidly advancing forest fire in Malibu has prompted authorities to issue a mandatory evacuation order as firefighters battle an inferno.
The three-alarm fire, dubbed the “Franklin Fire,” was first reported around 10:45 p.m. Monday near Malibu Canyon Road near Pepperdine University, where a mandatory shelter-in-place order is in effect. is in place.
video Posted in X It shows students taking shelter inside the library as heavy flames and smoke can be seen outside the windows.
“Despite the evacuation order for Malibu and surrounding areas, university personnel should follow the university's instructions,” Pepperdine University wrote on social media.
“We will not evacuate our campus even if the surrounding community may be evacuated. This shelter-in-place protocol has been approved by and will be implemented in cooperation with the Los Angeles County Fire Department.”
The raging inferno has already engulfed 853 acres, with zero containment and hundreds of buildings at risk of being engulfed in flames, Cal Fire says. reported Early Tuesday morning.
“Mandatory evacuation orders are in place east of Malibu Canyon Road and south of Piuma Road, as well as the Serra Retreat area,” the Los Angeles County Fire Department wrote in a Facebook post.
As of 1:45 a.m. PDT, a mandatory evacuation order was issued for Malibu Pier, Malibu Village Mall, and City Hall.
Officials are shut down A 5-mile section of the Pacific Coast Highway from Carbon Singh to Kolar Singh.
Late Monday night, Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department deputies went door to door in Malibu, using loudspeakers to urge residents to evacuate.
Authorities have not yet determined the cause of the fire.
The blaze, fanned by strong winds, moved into the Serra Retreat area around 1am on Tuesday, threatening buildings.
national weather bureau reported The area will see winds of up to 45 mph and gusts of up to 65 mph.
Multiple water cannon aircraft were called to the scene to assist with the large fire.
The National Weather Service has issued a red flag for “particularly hazardous conditions” for large areas of Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
