US: Santa Ana winds fuel rapid spread of Malibu wildfire

The Malibu wildfire is being fueled by powerful and erratic Santa Ana winds, complicating firefighting efforts and threatening more damage.

The wildfire raging through Malibu, the US State of California, is being fueled by powerful and erratic Santa Ana winds, complicating firefighting efforts and threatening more damage, News.Az reports, citing US media.

The wildfire in southern California has prompted evacuations and damaged homes in celebrity-studded Malibu, the iconic, affluent, and mountainous beach community northwest of Los Angeles.

The fast-moving wildfire that sprang up late Monday had exploded in size early Tuesday, forcing firefighters to go door-to-door to evacuate parts of Malibu. By Tuesday night, the Franklin Fire was over 3,000 acres, spreading through the Santa Monica mountains to the Malibu coast with 0% containment, CalFire officials said.

Firefighters worked on containment efforts along the fire perimeter but were challenged by strong winds, low humidity, and rugged terrain, according to CalFire. More than 1,500 firefighters had been assigned to the Franklin Fire, while the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department was conducting evacuations and road closures in the Malibu area.

During a news conference Tuesday night, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said a small number of homes in the area were destroyed or damaged by the fire. While the exact number remained unknown, Marrone said preliminary reports showed that seven structures were destroyed and eight others were damaged.

"This was from an aerial view that we were able to look at," according to Marrone. "Damage inspection teams have been assigned to the incident, and they will assist with a more accurate accounting of incident losses tomorrow."

Earlier Tuesday, Marrone said there were no reports of deaths or serious injuries. One sheriff deputy's cruiser was damaged in the fire.

News.Az