Fire crews in California are still fighting a wildfire in the ocean-side community of Malibu that spread dramatically overnight and led to thousands of evacuations, including from several celebrity residents.
According to reports, the fire had roared through over 4,000 acres of land as of Tuesday evening but firefighters has tirelessly worked to cut through the blaze and now had it about 7% contained.
The blaze, nicknamed Franklin Fire had broken out late Monday night close to Pepperdine University and razed several homes but the school appeared out of harm’s way according to reports on Wednesday.
The fierce winds that were aiding fuel the fire began abating on Wednesday, according to weather officials, giving the over 1,500 emergency officials deployed to the site to battle the blaze, a much needed respite.
Among the celebrities forced to evacuate were Dick Van Dyke and Cher. Mark Hamill, the notable Star Wars actor had posted on social media that he has plans to remain at home despite the fire hazard.
Students at Pepperdine University, a private Christian university along the coastline of Pacific Ocean, had been forced to take shelter on Monday evening as flames from the blaze neared the buildings on campus.
Michael Friel, the university’s spokesman, had remarked that no injuries were reported and no structures on campus had sustained serious damages.
At the time of filing this report, officials have yet to determine the cause of the fire.
Businesses, schools and major roads surrounding Malibu were still closed as of Wednesday, due to the continuing risk.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire) has meanwhile, said firefighters are working aggressively to prevent any further damage to infrastructures worth millions of dollars.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief, Anthony Marrone had said in an update on Wednesday morning that at about seven structures, including homes, have been wrecked by the blaze, adding that an unknown number of additional buildings were also damaged.
Chief Marrone further stated that almost 20,000 people were under evacuation orders or warnings.
Homes owned by top Hollywood stars including Lady Gaga, Beyonce and Jay Z were allegedly among those in the evacuation zone.
