Thousands evacuated by fire in Malibu: 'Flames are everywhere'

A wildfire spread rapidly early Tuesday through Malibu, Calif., prompting evacuation orders for some 6,000 residents.

By 4 a.m., flames from the Franklin Fire had covered 1,822 acres. The fire was 0% contained and its origin was still under investigation.

At the same time, authorities had asked people south of Piuma Road, north of Pacific Coast Highway, east of Las Virgenes Road and Malibu Road, and west of Carbon Beach Terrace to leave "NOW." For the latest alerts and recommendations, the county set up a website in Spanish and English, among other languages. The status of a specific address can also be viewed at protect.genasys.com.

The fire grew rapidly fueled by 60 miles per hour winds, which then lost strength to around 40 miles per hour. The National Weather Service (NWS) warned Monday of a dangerous combination of low humidity and Santa Ana winds, a phenomenon characteristic of Southern California and northern Baja California that results in extremely dry and hot gusts. As reported at the time, critical conditions favorable for starting fires will continue through Wednesday.

The swiftness of Franklin led Pepperdine University to ask its students and employees to remain sheltered on campus. It suspended all "normal" activities for the day. Videos posted on social media showed how far the flames reached:

"The Pepperdine community continues to shelter in place in Payson Library and the Tyler Campus Center," notified from the university. "There are numerous LA County Fire Department engines on campus and their helicopters are using the lakes in Alumni Park to pick up water to drop on the fire from above," they also assured. Hours later, they reported that they believed the worst of the fire was over.

"Flames are everywhere," one neighbor, Alp Toygar, told The Los Angeles Times. "People are running away in vehicles from Malibu both directions on the coastal highway. I just passed through the blazes ... on the highway. No traffic lights. Police cars and fire trucks are everywhere."

Several of the affected areas reported power outages, due to Santa Ana winds. Specialized site PowerOutage.us recorded more than 55,300 households without power early Tuesday morning.