Firefighters battled a three-alarm wildfire early Tuesday in Malibu, California, near Pepperdine University, prompting evacuations
MALIBU, California — Firefighters battled a three-alarm wildfire early Tuesday in Malibu, California, near Pepperdine University, prompting evacuations.
It was not immediately known how the blaze, dubbed the Franklin Fire, started, but LA County Fire Department officials estimated that at least 40 acres had burned and structures were threatened, according to KTLA-TV.
Northerly to northeasterly winds were forecast to increase to 30 to 40 miles per hour (48 to 64 km per hour) with gusts up to 65 mph (105 km per hour), the National Weather Service office in Los Angeles reported Angeles on X.
Power was cut off to tens of thousands of people on Monday evening as utilities worked to mitigate the effects of the disaster Southern California’s infamous Santa Ana windswhose strong gusts can damage electrical equipment and cause forest fires.
The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for a high fire risk with a rare “particularly hazardous situation,” or IBS, a designation that begins Monday through Tuesday at 8 p.m. for Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
Fire officials have issued a mandatory evacuation order for residents living east of Malibu Canyon Road and south of Piuma Road. University officials said they were monitoring the situation.