At least 3,700 people affected by the Franklin Fire in Malibu were allowed to return home on Thursday. Macy Jenkins reports for NBC4 at 11 p.m. on Dec. 12, 2024.
Evacuation orders have been reduced to warnings for areas affected by the Franklin Fire, allowing more residents to begin to return to their homes as road access is restored, the city of Malibu announced Friday.
Firefighters continue making progress on the Franklin Fire in Malibu, which is now 30% contained after burning more than 4,000 acres.
And while the cause of the fire is still under investigation, evacuation orders have been reduced to warnings.
Pacific Coast Highway has fully reopened for public traffic from Topanga Canyon to Kanan Dune Road in Malibu. Pepperdine University and Civic Center have also fully reopened, according to the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department.
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The Franklin Fire started Monday night and has since burned 4,037 acres, destroyed 12 structures including six homes, and damaged 11 structures including 10 homes.
More than 3,700 people have now been allowed to go back home after evacuating for several days. Meanwhile, another 1,600 people are still out of their homes.
Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies were at several checkpoints along Pacific Coast Highway to verify the IDs of the homeowners.
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"We went back yesterday, our house is fine, we're just exhausted and we're filled with PTSD right now because this is reminding us of 2018" Cheryl Rivin, a Malibu resident, said.
Local officials said that just days ago, they were petrified that this fire would destroy the civic center and the nearby houses.
Malibu mayor Doug Stewart said firefighters are well aware of the chance of another round of Santa Ana winds hitting the area.
A top priority is making sure there are no remaining embers that could spark another fire.
According to Cal Fire, the fire activity remained minimal overnight with no significant growth. Firefighters continue working to put out the remaining hot spots.
The fire continues to smolder in steep and very dangerous terrain. Aerial suppression efforts in those areas have been successful in keeping the fire subdued.
Remaining evacuation orders and road closures can be found here.
