California firefighters battle three-alarm bushfire in Malibu, thousands face power outage

Firefighters were battling a three-alarm brushfire early Tuesday in Malibu, California, near Pepperdine University, prompting evacuations.

It was not immediately known how the blaze, named the Franklin Fire, started but L.A. County Fire Department officials estimated that at least 100 acres (40 hectares) had been burned and structures were threatened, according to KTLA-TV.

North to northeast winds were forecasted to increase to 30 to 40 miles per hour (48 to 64 kph) with gusts up to 65 mph (105 kph) expected, The National Weather Service Los Angeles office posted on X.

Power to tens of thousands of people had been shut off by Monday night as utilities worked to mitigate the impacts of Southern California’s notorious Santa Ana winds, whose strong gusts could damage electrical equipment and spark wildfires.

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The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for high fire risk with a rare “particularly dangerous situation,” or PDS, designation starting at 8 p.m. Monday into Tuesday for Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

The fire department issued a mandatory evacuation order for residents living east of Malibu Canyon Road and South of Piuma Road. University officials said they were monitoring the situation.