Firefighters battling the Franklin Fire in Malibu have gotten a better handle on the destructive wildfire, having had it contained by 35% as of Saturday morning.
Aided by favorable weather conditions that include increased humidity, firefighters have completed 80% of the damage inspections, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department announced on Saturday.
The blaze broke out late Monday and has since swelled to more than 4,000 acres, destroying 19 structures and damaging 23 others as it forced residents to flee from their homes, according to LASD. Since then, some evacuation orders have been lifted or downgraded and allowed more than 3,700 people to return home. More than 1,600 people remain under the order, however.
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“This significant milestone reflects the progress made by our first responders and partner agencies in ensuring the safety of our community,” Malibu city spokesman Matt Myerhoff said in a statement.
Details on evacuation orders and warnings can be found here.
With the changes in evacuation orders, officials fully reopened Pacific Coast Highway to traffic on Saturday. Malibu Canyon remains closed, however. For full details on road closures, click here.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
