Thousands of people have been evacuated from the path of a fast-moving wildfire sweeping through parts of California’s upmarket city of Malibu.
Among those forced to leave their homes were Hollywood actor Dick Van Dyke, who turns 99 on Friday, and his wife Arlene, while singer Cher reportedly also fled the area.
Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang star Van Dyke wrote on Facebook: “Arlene and I have safely evacuated with our animals except for Bobo escaped as we were leaving.
“We’re praying he’ll be ok and that our community in Serra Retreat will survive these terrible fires.”
Dick van Dyke. Pic: Reuters
More than 700 firefighters have been tackling the brush blaze – named the Franklin Fire by authorities – which has engulfed nearly 2,700 acres of land so far.
Another 300 firefighters are set to join the battle to contain the blaze, which officials say is not yet under control.
The fire, which at one point threatened the famous Malibu pier, has so far destroyed a small number of homes, but has not caused any injuries or deaths, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone told a news conference on Tuesday.
Pic: AP
Pic: AP
Thousands of Southern California residents are currently under evacuation orders. More than 8,100 homes and other structures are currently under threat – including more than 2,000 homes where residents have been forced to evacuate.
Around 6,000 people have been warned to be prepared to flee at a moment’s notice from the fire, which is being pushed by gusts of up to 40mph from the notorious Santa Ana winds – sometimes known as “devil winds”.
The fire broke out on Monday evening in an area known as Malibu Canyon.
Smoke billows as the Franklin Fire burns in Malibu. Pic: Reuters
Ryan Song, a resident assistant at Pepperdine University, said the power went out in his room late on Monday and when he looked out the window he saw a pink glow.
The 20-year-old said: “I thought this is too bright, and it got bigger and bigger. I immediately went outside and saw that it was a real fire.”
“It felt really close,” he said, adding he was probably less than a mile away.
“Seeing the fire rampaging down the hill is obviously scary for students but I felt like our staff was prepared.”
The university later said the worst of the fire had pushed past campus.
Officials said the cause of the blaze – which has spread mostly through areas of dry brush and trees in the hills to the north of Malibu – was not yet known.
After the fire broke out, it moved swiftly south and managed to spread across the famous Pacific Coast Highway.
Pic: Reuters
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It then pushed its way to the Pacific Ocean, where large homes owned by celebrities and billionaires line the world-famous Malibu beach.
At one point, flames threatened the historic Malibu Pier, but the structure was protected, officials said.
California is a state that is prone to wildfires. Experts from the US Environmental Protection Agency say wildfires in the state are expected to increase in intensity and frequency due to climate change.
Malibu suffered a devastating wildfire in 2018, named The Woolsey Fire, which killed three people and destroyed 1,600 homes.