Celebrities informed to evacuate houses as Malibu wildfire triples in measurement
Evacuations are underway in celebrity-filled Malibu following the rapid spread of a wildfire that broke out overnight.
The fast-moving blaze first started at around 11pm PST Monday night. By 7am, it had expanded to 2,200 acres.
As of Tuesday morning, zero percent of the blaze had been contained, as it continued to tear through the eastern part of Malibu – all of which is under a mandatory evacuation order.
Over the years, the area has played home to A-listers like Jennifer Aniston and Leonardo DiCaprio. Currently, figures Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Julia Roberts, and Lady Gaga live within the rapidly widening evacuation warning zone.
Comedian Jonah Hill is reportedly among those who live within the mandatory evacuation order area today, in a home in the exclusive Malibu Colony community. As it stands, the order has gone out to more than 6,000 residents.
Footage from the fire-ravaged area filmed early this morning showed firefighters battling the flames, as other big names ranging from Nicolas Cage to Karlie Kloss also call the beachside area home.
Residents of neighborhoods like Sweetwater Canyon and Serra Retreat were among those forced to flee their luxurious abodes.
‘Flames are everywhere. People are running away in vehicles from Malibu both directions on the coastal highway,’ one local told the Los Angeles Times, after the fire had managed to spread across more than 1,800 acres by dawn.
The chilling footage shared on X, formerly Twitter, by students showed what appears to be the flickering flames of the brush fire mere yards from the Campus’ library
Evacuations are under across Malibu this morning as firefighters battle three-alarm blaze which is reportedly spreading fast with over 1,000 acres of land now engulfed by the fire
‘Malibu Pier and other structures are impacted. Structures are impacted on Malibu Knolls Rd and Sweetwater Cyn,’ the city added in an emergency update around that time, as students and staff at Pepperdine University were ordered to take shelter.
‘The fire is burning so hot that it is modifying the local winds… (and) bending them towards and into the fire,’ the National Weather Service in Los Angeles warned later in the morning, as the fire burned through an area larger than five football fields.
Chilling footage shared on X, meanwhile, from frightened students showed flickering flames of the fire mere yards from the campus library, as concerned students, who started their first day of finals yesterday, rushed down stairs to escape.
In a post shared on social media, one user shared a photo that appeared to show the fire encroaching on the library
Elsewhere, students were pictured wearing protective face masks as they sought shelter in the school’s emergency bunker.
In a post, the school explained how it was initiating a shelter-in-place order after the speed of the fire – fueled by fierce Santa Ana winds – caught them by surprise.
‘The University is now activating its shelter-in-place protocol. All community members on the Malibu campus are directed to shelter in place in the Tyler Campus Center or Payson Library,’ the college wrote.
‘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 fast moving and dramatic fire, moreover, is dangerously close to people’s homes andits flames have reportedly reached Malibu City Hall with reports that fire engines have been called to the area to assist with the blaze.
In a post shared on social media, one user shared a photo which appears to show the brush fire right outside the library
Students at Pepperdine University with the brush fire closeby. Students at the nearby university are yet to be evacuated and have instead been told to travel to an on-campus shelter
It was not immediately known how the fire, named the Franklin Fire, started.
However, since it started late last night the fire has grown exponentially forcing most of Malibu to evacuate.
The LA Times, have reported that 6,000 of the city’s 11,000 residents have now been order to evacuate.
Malibu is home to numerous Hollywood a-listers including Lady Gaga, Jack Nicholson and Mindy Kaling.
Fire crews from nearby Orange and Ventura counties have travelled to help takcle the ferocious fire.
North to northeast winds were forecasted to increase to 30 to 40 miles per hour with gusts up to 65 mph expected, The National Weather Service Los Angeles office posted on X.
Evacuations are underway in Malibu as firefighters battle a fast-moving bushfire this morning
Meanwhile, shocking images broadcast by local television networks show the devastating blaze running along side Malibu’s canyon road
Power to tens of thousands of people had been shut off by Monday night as utilities worked to mitigate the impacts of Southern California´s notorious Santa Ana winds, whose strong gusts could damage electrical equipment and spark wildfires.
The fire reportedly broke out at 11pm Pacific time as the Santa Ana winds event was underway.
The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for high fire risk with a rare ‘particularly dangerous situation,’ or PDS, designation starting at 8 p.m. Monday into Tuesday for Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
Witnesses have reported seeing large plumes of smoke rising above Malibu.
Meanwhile, shocking images broadcast by local television networks show the devastating blaze running along side Malibu’s canyon road.
Flames are reportedly spreading fast with over 300 acres of land now engulfed by the fire.
The fire department 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.
