Malibu’s Franklin Fire forces thousands to flee, all public schools to close

Dec 10

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Lauren Taylor Anchor

By Lauren Taylor (Anchor), Evan Hummel (Producer), Michael Edwards (Video Editor)

An intense wildfire fueled by strong winds and dry conditions ripped through Malibu, California, on Tuesday, Dec. 10, reportedly forcing thousands of people to flee along the coast. Additionally, around 2,000 structures threatened by the fire were under evacuation orders.

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Meanwhile, Pepperdine University ordered students and staff to shelter in place and canceled classes and final exams as firefighters battled the blaze that had grown to more than 2,000 acres.

All public schools in the area also closed on Tuesday due to fire danger and widespread power outages.

Hundreds of firefighters are reportedly struggling to contain the fire –– hampered by winds of up to 80 miles per hour –– as helicopters douse the fire with water from nearby lakes.

The wildfire, named the Franklin Fire, also spread across roads, forcing the closure of at least two highways.

It’s unclear what started the fire, but Los Angeles and its surrounding areas have been abnormally dry over the past few months and the region is under a red flag warning.

So far, no injuries have been reported from the Franklin Fire.

Tags: California, evacuations, Los Angeles, natural disaster, School districts, schools, Wildfire

[LAUREN TAYLOR]

AN INTENSE WILDFIRE FUELED BY STRONG WINDS AND DRY CONDITIONS RIPPED THROUGH MALIBU TUESDAY REPORTEDLY FORCING THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE TO FLEE ALONG THE COAST.

AROUND TWO-THOUSAND STRUCTURES THREATENED BY THE FIRE WERE REPORTEDLY UNDER EVACUATION ORDERS.

NEARBY PEPPERDINE UNIVERSITY ORDERED STUDENTS AND STAFF TO SHELTER-IN-PLACE AND CANCELED CLASSES AND FINAL EXAMS AS FIREFIGHTERS WORKED TO PUT OUT THE FIRE THAT HAD GROWN TO NEARLY TWO-THOUSAND ACRES.

ALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN THE AREA ALSO CLOSED TUESDAY BECAUSE OF FIRE DANGER AND WIDESPREAD POWER OUTAGES.

HUNDREDS OF FIREFIGHTERS ARE REPORTEDLY STRUGGLING WITH CONTAINING THE FIRE HAMPERED BY WINDS OF UP TO 80 MILES PER HOUR AS HELICOPTERS DOUSE THE FIRE WITH WATER FROM NEARBY LAKES.

THE WILDFIRE DUBBED THE FRANKLIN FIRE ALSO SPREAD ACROSS ROADS FORCING THE CLOSURE OF TWO HIGHWAYS.

IT’S UNCLEAR WHAT SPARKED THE FIRE BUT THE LOS ANGELES AREA HAS BEEN ABNORMALLY DRY OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS AND THE REGION IS UNDER A RED FLAG WARNING.

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FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS–I’M LAUREN TAYLOR.