(Bloomberg) — A wildfire in Malibu, California tripled in size in an hour early Tuesday morning, prompting evacuations, forcing schools to close and closing part of the Pacific Coast Highway.
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The Franklin Fire in Los Angeles County burned about 1,822 acres overnight and was out of control, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, commonly referred to as Cal Fire. All Malibu schools were closed until further notice, while Pepperdine University canceled classes and issued a shelter-in-place.
Photos shared on social media overnight showed Pepperdine students huddled inside the school building, with flames and smoke visible outside the windows. At 6 am local time Tuesday, school officials told local media that the threat to the university had passed.
A section of Pacific Coast Highway is closed between Pacific Palisades and Central Malibu except for those fleeing the fire, the California Department of Transportation said in an X post.
“A critical to severe weather system is expected today along the southern CA coast, putting the threat of fire weather at risk,” the US Storm Prediction Center said Tuesday.
More than 860,000 people in cities including Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks will face extreme conditions Tuesday as dry winds sweep across the region. A large area of 6.1 million residents, including San Bernardino and Ontario, is under severe conditions.
Sustained winds of up to 35 miles (56 kilometers) per hour will sweep the region, with some gusts reaching up to 75 mph, the Storm Prediction Center said. Winds will pick up significantly into the morning
Conditions will remain bad through Wednesday, but conditions will begin to improve as high pressure in Utah and Nevada begins to weaken. These winds are driven by vertical pressure over the Great Basin and California Pacific Ocean.
Utilities in Southern California are already turning off power to reduce the risk of electrical appliances starting other fires. San Diego Gas & Electric Co. had cut power to more than 50,000 homes and businesses in the east of the city since Tuesday morning, and warned that up to 67,000 customers could lose work later. Southern California Edison shut down a few hundred customers but said many homes and 39,000 businesses could lose power.
–With help from Will Wade.
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