DEVELOPING STORY: Thousands of people have evacuated and many more have been ordered to shelter in place as a massive wildfire burns near Pepperdine University. Click here to watch video of the fire.
The blaze jumped Malibu Canyon Road just before 1 a.m. creating a dire situation for thousands of residents in the Malibu area. The flames have also jumped the famed Pacific Coast Highway.
The City of Malibu announced it has activated its Emergency Operations Centers and said the fire has a “rapid rate of spread.”
Students at Pepperdine were ordered to shelter in place because university buildings were designed to withstand a wildfire, a spokesperson told television station KTLA.
“All community members on the Malibu campus are directed to shelter in place in the Tyler Campus Center or Payson Library,” the university said in a statement. “Despite any evacuation orders from Malibu city or surrounding areas, the University community should follow University instructions. We do not evacuate the campus even when surrounding areas might – this shelter-in-place protocol is approved by LA County Fire and executed with their cooperation.”
The inferno has already grown to more than 1,800 acres – at one point nearly tripling in size in just one hour, CALFire said. This page will be updated and be sure to click here to get Todd’s breaking news alerts.
Scenes from the #franklinfire on the Pepperdine campus by @TimHortonphoto pic.twitter.com/BvOdu4UvY1
— Cece Woods (@ceceswoods) December 10, 2024
🚨Breaking: FranklinFire is out of control in Malibu Canyon. The state issued an evacuation order! #FranklinFire
— Jane Carrot (@JanecheersJazz) December 10, 2024
https://t.co/tZh4tw5JJO
