Containment of Franklin Fire in Malibu grows but forecasts say winds could pick up again
Containment of the Franklin Fire in Malibu grew to 54% Monday morning, while the fire size remained at 4,037 acres, officials said.
Firefighters have been making steady progress since the fire erupted Monday night near Pepperdine University. According to Cal Fire, the blaze continues to smolder in steep and dangerous terrain, and fighting it from the air in those areas has been successful in keeping it from spreading.
Also helping firefighters are cooler conditions, higher humidity and weakening winds. When the wildfire first sparked, Santa Ana winds had fueled its spread to 2,600 acres within a day.
During a news conference on Saturday, officials voiced some light concern with forecasts showing the potential for winds to pickup come Sunday evening. With some hot spots still smoldering and 20 to 30 mile per hour winds expected on Monday before another Santa Ana wind event arrives on Tuesday, they advised residents to keep vigilant.
As of Saturday evening 19 structures had been destroyed including eight homes, according to city officials. Monday, they said that the damage inspections are complete.
Another 27 structures were damaged, including: 14 single-family homes, one multi-family dwelling, seven commercial properties, and five outbuildings.
At the height of the fire, roughly 20,000 people were under either evacuation orders or warnings. All mandatory evacuations were lifted Friday, allowing all residents to return to their homes, city officials said.
"This significant milestone reflects the progress made by our first responders and partner agencies in ensuring the safety of our community," Malibu city spokesman Matt Myerhoff said in a statement on Friday.
Residents are encouraged to drive cautiously as emergency and utility crews remain active in the area.
The city of Malibu announced Saturday morning that Pacific Coast Highway is fully open for traffic, but Malibu Canyon remains closed. On Sunday, authorities lifted all road closures for residents, including Malibu Canyon.
The city will open a local assistance center at Malibu City Hall on Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will hold a community meeting on Wednesday.
Three schools shut down by the fire are reopening Monday and a fourth remains closed for repairs
"Students return to Malibu Elementary, Malibu Middle and Malibu High Schools. Webster Elementary School students and staff will relocate to Malibu Elementary School beginning Tuesday, Dec. 17 for those families who are ready for their students to return to learning," said a statement from the Santa Monica - Malibu Unified School District on Sunday evening.
The Santa Monica College Malibu Campus was also closed through Friday.
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday that the state secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant from FEMA to ensure resources are available to help fight the blaze.
Officials have not identified a cause of the fire.
