Franklin Fire in Malibu erupts near Pepperdine University as dangerous winds set fuel on fire, prompting evacuations

The Franklin Fire in Malibu exploded near Pepperdine University’s campus overnight, burning more than 2,200 acres and forcing thousands of people to evacuate the area.

In a news conference Tuesday morning, county officials said a small but undetermined number of homes were destroyed and the work of firefighters on the scene prevented further damage.

According to the Los Angeles County Fire Department, the large fire was first reported just after 10:45 p.m. Monday near South Malibu Canyon Road and Boundary Station, south of the Piuma area.

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said Tuesday that there were about 18,000 people and 8,100 structures in the affected area. Of the 8,100 buildings, 2,043 are under evacuation orders and 6,046 are under evacuation warnings.

Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony Marrone said a 5-acre fire that started at Malibu Canyon Road and the Pacific Coast Highway tunnel spread quickly due to Santa Ana winds.

The flames quickly spread to Pepperdine University overnight. By 3 a.m., the Franklin Fire was spreading south along the Pacific Coast Highway to Malibu Road near Webb Way. It moved toward Malibu Pier and threatened some nearby structures along Malibu Knolls Road and the Sweetwater Mesa area.

Malibu City Public Information Officer Matt Myerhoff said early Tuesday morning that the pier was safe.

“I think the structures affected here will be predominantly residential,” he said.

“We don’t have any information yet on whether they are damaged or destroyed, it’s too early to tell… all we know is that firefighters are battling them.”

Marrone said Tuesday that there were no reports of serious injuries or fatalities, but warned that the fire was not contained.

“We continue to face an imminent threat due to red flag conditions,” he said. “We would like to achieve some containment by this afternoon.”

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday that the state has received a fire relief assistance grant from FEMA to ensure resources are available to fight the fire.

Fire investigators are investigating the cause of the fire.

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Evacuations in Malibu

Officials with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department worked to evacuate residents of the MAL-C112 zone, which includes the area east of Malibu Canyon Road and south of Piuma Road, as well as Serra Retreat. For more information on evacuations, visit the City of Malibu website.

“The way the sheriff’s department does evacuations is they go door to door. They drive through the streets with a blowhorn and knock on every single door. They wake people up and get them out of their houses,” said Myerhoff.

He said he is using the lessons learned 2018 Woolsey FireFirst responders communicate using LA-RICS radios purchased by the city because power outages affect cell service and all other forms of communication.

“We are safe. All retreats have been safely evacuated,” Serra Retreat said. “It looks like the fire is on the grounds of the retreat center, but there are several fire engines there. Hopefully they can contain it.”

A resident named Linda said her boss’s house was destroyed while she was trying to evacuate horses.

“It’s happening so quickly,” she said. “I’m worried about two horses I left there. I know the house is gone. I went back there to find the two horses, but it was too dangerous.”

Below is a real-time map of evacuation orders and warnings.

A temporary evacuation center was opened as the Palisades Recreation Center at 851 Alma Real Drive. Large animals could be taken to Pierce College in Winnetka.

Roads affected in Malibu

• Malibu Canyon Road remains closed from Mulholland Drive to PCH
• PCH is closed from Topanga Canyon Boulevard to Kanan Dume Road
• The westbound PCH from John Tyler is open, but any vehicle leaving the Pepperdine campus in that direction will not be able to return because the eastbound PCH is closed
• Topanga Canyon Boulevard is closed to all but local traffic

“Stay away from the Malibu area at all costs if you can,” said Deputy Tracy Koerner. “Avoid coming to Malibu. Many people commute through Malibu from Ventura and Santa Monica. These people need to stay on the 101 Freeway today.”

Fire approaches Pepperdine University

Pepperdine school officials released a statement noting they were closely monitoring the fire.

“The fire is not currently affecting any university campus,” the statement said. “There may be power outages on the Malibu campus and surrounding areas related to this incident.”

But by 1:10 a.m., the fire crept closer to the university, forcing the administration to issue a shelter-in-place order.

“All community members on the Malibu campus are directed to seek shelter at the Tyler Campus Center or Payson Library,” the administration wrote on “

The administration stated that its “protocol will be approved by and implemented in collaboration with LA County Fire.”

Pepperdine canceled all classes and final exams for Tuesday following the fire.

“Normal operations on the Malibu Campus are suspended for Tuesday. This also includes the cancellation of courses and final exams for that day,” the university tweeted.

The worst of the fire had left Pepperdine behind by 3:30 a.m., but several smaller fires continued to burn around campus. According to the administration, the hotspots did not pose a threat to buildings or lives.

“In addition, power remains out across much of Malibu. Therefore, to ensure the safety of our community, we will maintain the protective protocol until at least daybreak,” the university wrote on X. “The EOC will continue to update the community.”

The school lifted the shelter in place around 7:30 a.m. Tuesday. “After assessing the conditions on campus at daybreak, the EOC is lifting the shelter-in-place protocol. Conditions on campus are safe for members of the community to return to residence halls and houses on campus,” the university wrote.

Power remained out across much of the campus and students were advised not to use elevators.

School closures in Malibu

The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District announced that all schools in Malibu will be closed on Tuesday, December 10, until further notice.

“Authorities are urging residents and visitors to stay away from the area as the fire continues to pose a significant threat,” wrote Superintendent Dr. Antonio Shelton in a community announcement.

“Currently, many Webster families are under evacuation orders, and several families in other Malibu neighborhoods are under evacuation watch due to the Franklin Fire. Our district’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is closely monitoring the situation and we stand ready to respond if conditions continue to develop.

The Los Angeles Unified School District, which has schools in the neighboring Topanga and Pacific Palisades areas, said schools are open and they are “closely monitoring the Franklin Fire and its potential impact on our communities.”

Red flag warning

Weather officials expressed concerns about the fire risk that would affect most of Southern California. Unusually low humidity coupled with a powerful Santa Ana winds movement dangerous conditions were created, which led to them issuing a warning of a “particularly dangerous situation” from Monday evening.

In response, SoCal Edison warned tens of thousands of residents across Los Angeles County that their service may be suspended if winds increase.

Gusts of 40 mph were gusting in Malibu Tuesday morning, with peak winds expected from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Tuesday. KCAL News meteorologist Paul Deanno said that while the strongest winds are expected around 7 a.m., the fire danger remains high even after the worst of the winds pass due to low humidity.

The conditions are similar to the weather when the A mountain fire broke out in Ventura County Beginning of November. The fire burned nearly 20,000 hectares of land and destroyed more than 200 buildings.

This is a developing story. Further information can be found here.