Overview

• The Franklin fire in Malibu has burned over 4,000 acres since it started late Monday night, with containment reaching 7% as of Wednesday evening.
• More than 6,300 residents remain under evacuation orders, including celebrities and students sheltering at Pepperdine University, while shelters have been set up for displaced people and animals.
• The fire has destroyed nine structures and damaged six others, with crews still surveying the affected area; no injuries or fatalities have been reported.
• Firefighters are battling challenging terrain and using fire-retardant drops and hand lines to contain the blaze, while utility companies have preemptively cut power to thousands of homes to reduce fire risks.
• Cooler temperatures, calmer winds, and potential rainfall in the coming days are expected to assist firefighting efforts, though the fire's cause remains under investigation.