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Franklin Fire: PCH reopens, evacuation orders lifted in Malibu
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Franklin Fire: PCH reopens, evacuation orders lifted in Malibu

All mandatory evacuation orders were lifted in Malibu as cooler temperatures, increasing humidity and milder winds helped firefighters strengthen containment of the Franklin Fire.

This positive turn of events allowed residents to breathe a sigh of relief after preparing for the worst when the the fire was lit amid strong winds Monday evening. Although the Franklin Fire burned approximately 4,000 acres, it pales in comparison to the devastation of the nearly 97,000-acre Woolsey Fire in 2018, which still occupies an important place in the minds of many residents.

“We have had great success in continuing to move forward in our containment of this incident,” said Dusty Martin, incident commander for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, in a community update Friday evening. “Today we were able to repopulate residents in their homes and begin to bring some of that normalcy back to the community. »

At the height of the fire, around 20,000 residents were under evacuation orders or warnings.

Improved weather conditions also authorized the reopening of all sections of the Pacific Coast Highway on Friday. A strict closure remains in effect on Malibu Canyon Road from Civic Center Way to Piuma Road, while several canyon roads north of PCH are also closed to non-residents.

But Malibu isn’t out of the woods yet, Martin warned.

The rugged terrain continues to pose a challenge for fire crews trying to access steep mountainous areas. Greater Los Angeles is also expecting another, more moderate round of measures. Santa Ana Winds Tuesday to Thursday.

“With the combination of extremely dry brush, extremely steep slopes and some weather conditions coming up next week, we still have some potential for this fire to start and move,” he said. “We will remain vigilant and continue working until all these heat sources are extinguished.”

At the start of the week, most of Los Angeles was under a rare ‘particularly dangerous fire warning due to the combination of Santa Ana winds and extremely low humidity levels. By Friday, wind speeds in Malibu had dropped to about 10 mph, while humidity had rebounded to 70 percent, according to the National Weather Service.

The fire was 32% contained Friday evening. So far, 19 structures have been confirmed destroyed and 19 others damaged, officials said. Eight of the destroyed buildings were homes.

“As we move from response to recovery from the Franklin Fire, I want to recognize how difficult this time has been for our community,” Malibu City Councilwoman Marianne Riggins said Friday evening. “Many of you have faced uncertainty, displacement and loss, and yet Malibu’s resilience and strength has shone through. »

Malibu elementary, middle and high schools will reopen Monday. Cleaning and replacement of HVAC filters will take place over the weekend on all three campuses.

Webster Elementary School suffered more severe smoke damage and will remain closed until Jan. 6 to allow time for restoration. Starting Tuesday, Webster students will move to Malibu Elementary School for the remainder of the semester.

At Pepperdine University, where students housed on site as the fire rages, normal operations will resume Monday.

The City of Malibu plans to reopen City Hall on Wednesday and host a community meeting at 6 p.m. that day to provide updates, hear residents’ concerns and share additional recovery resources.