(Reuters) – A wildfire in the beach community of Malibu, California, raged unchecked on Wednesday after destroying several structures and forcing residents to flee and schools to close in the area.
More than 1,500 firefighters were battling the Franklin Fire, which was 3,900 acres (1,578 hectares) and 0% contained, as it burned in the steep, rugged terrain northwest of Los Angeles.
The fire, which started on Monday night, has destroyed at least seven structures and damaged eight others, the city of Malibu said in a statement online on Tuesday evening.
The fire’s cause remains unknown, fire officials have said.
A red flag warning issued by the National Weather Service remained in effect on Wednesday as strong Santa Ana winds and low humidity were expected in the area. The winds were expected to die down, but arid conditions were to continue throughout the day, forecasters said.
Evacuation orders and warnings remained in place on Wednesday for parts of the city of 10,000 people. Roadways, including a portion of the Pacific Coast Highway, were shut down as the fire burned nearby.
The public school system canceled classes for Wednesday and Thursday due to the fire, local media reported.
Governor Gavin Newsom said California had obtained a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to secure resources to suppress the fire.
Pepperdine University in Malibu said the threat of fire has greatly diminished after it issued a shelter-in-place order for some students. There was little to no damage to structures around campus.
(Reporting by Brendan O’Brien in Chicago; Editing by Mark Porter)
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