A Malibu homeowner who stayed behind to defend his home from the Franklin Fire said he’s lucky he was unharmed during the risky ordeal. Camilla Rambaldi reports for the NBC4 News at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 11, 2024.
The Franklin Fire in Malibu did not expand much Wednesday evening as more firefighting resources were dispatched while winds subsided in the area.
The Franklin Fire burned 4,035 acres as of Wednesday night at 7% containment, according to Cal Fire, which assumed command Wednesday morning,
“WE saw the weather moderate, which allowed us to have a lot of success around the fire,” Dusty Martin from Cal Fire said during a news conference Wednesday evening. “For (Thursday,) we're looking at the wind change with the possible change in direction that the fire has been going.”
NBC Los Angeles Meteorologist Melissa Magee said winds blowing in Malibu Canyon and the Pepperdine University area are expected to remain calm Thursday.
Get top local stories in Southern California delivered to you every morning. >Sign up for NBC LA's News Headlines newsletter.
While fire crews were hoping the weather shift would support their effort, they are unable to get to some of the steep and inaccessible terrain that the fire was burning, Martin said.
As there are 6,300 displaced residents who have not been allowed back to their home, officials said getting them back into their homes is their “number one priority.”
Although the growth of the fire appears to have stalled, a further assessment showed the more structures were destroyed, according to LA County Fire Deputy Chief Albert Yanagisawa, who added that the damage inspection team has completed the survey of 25% of the impacted area. The latest count showed nine structures were destroyed while six others were damaged.
Officials said 1,974 firefighting personnel were assigned to the Franklin Fire.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department continued to enforce evacuations and street closures while conducting additional patrols to make sure the evacuated homes were not burglarized.
We understand everyone is eager for all the roads to be open. I assure you we are all working towards that goal and to be able to repopulate soon,” Cpt. Jennifer Seetoo with the sheriff’s department said.
