A growing wildfire in Malibu has forced local officials to impose an evacuation order for homes in one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Southern California.
The Franklin Fire initially ignited late Monday night. As of writing, however, the fire has burned through more than 2,800 acres and destroyed at least seven structures throughout the area. The Los Angeles County Fire Department has deployed over 1,500 firefighters to combat the blaze, which is being fueled by the Santa Ana winds.
It is noted that the count is still an estimate, and a more accurate figure for damages will be drawn on Wednesday, per NBC Los Angeles.
Mandatory Evacuations
As the wildfire spreads, officials have ordered mandatory evacuations for areas east of Malibu Canyon and south of Piuma Road. The evacuation orders are affecting around 20,000 residents, including those living in high-profile mansions. These celebrities include Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Jennifer Aniston, Ladt Gaga, and Nicholas Cage.
Award-winning actress Mira Sorvino also took to X (formerly Twitter) to announce that she and her family had evacuated from their home due to the wildfire.
"All my Malibu friends and neighbors I pray that you are safe. We evacuated in the middle of the night, kids and pets all accounted for! Scary times!!" she wrote.
Dick van Dyke, the legendary 98-year-old actor, had also evacuated his home with his wife, Arlene Silver, after their property was deemed at risk of burning in the wildfire. However, one of their pets, Bobo, escaped as they were leaving and has not been found yet.
Other properties at risk of being caught in the wildfire include the $21 million "bomb shelter" mansion recently sold by Ye, formerly Kanye West, and a beach house owned and featured by Lana Del Rey in her "High by the Beach" music video, per SFGate.
How Did the Fire Start?
As of Tuesday, the cause of the wildfire is still unclear. Officials for the LA County Fire and Sheriff's arson teams are investigating the source.
The Franklin Fire is currently 0% contained, according to CNN, citing officials from the Los Angeles County Fire and CalFire departments.
