Pepperdine students take shelter in library and campus center as Malibu fire crews evacuate
Pepperdine University, which continues to be affected by the Franklin Fire in California’s Los Angeles County early Tuesday morning, said a shelter-in-place order remains in effect “at least until daylight.”
Pepperdine University updates are posted on the university’s Facebook and X pages starting just before 1 a.m. local time.
“The school understands that the worst of the fire has passed over Pepperdine University,” X’s latest post reads. “However, there are smaller, localized fires on campus that do not threaten life or buildings, and are still on campus. Preserve firefighting resources to deal with these localized fires when they occur.”
The post continued: “Additionally, most of Malibu remains without power, so to ensure the safety of our community we will maintain shelter-in-place protocols at least until daylight. The EOC will continue to update the community.”
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A firefighter sprays water as the Franklin Fire burns near a building in Malibu, California, on December 10, 2024. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
The Malibu campus suspended operations Tuesday as students prepare for winter break and classes and final exams were canceled.
After the University Emergency Operations Committee (EOC) was activated, community members were provided shelter-in-place and placed at the Tyler Campus Center and Payson Library.
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Franklin Fire evacuation map, courtesy of the Los Angeles County Incident Response website. (Los Angeles County)
A third-alarm brush fire on Malibu Canyon Road and the station boundary forced residents in the area to evacuate, and others were under evacuation warnings.
So far, there have been no reports of injuries from the fire, according to Fox Weather News.
Night view of the Franklin Fire affecting residents of Malibu, California. (Fox 11 Los Angeles)
The Los Angeles County Fire Department said on Facebook that the department was fighting brush fires on the ground and from the air.
The fire has burned more than 1,822 acres and is currently 0% contained, according to Cal Fire. The accident began at 10:50 that night, and the specific cause is under investigation.
The Franklin Fire burns near a building on December 10, 2024 in Malibu, California. The wildfire has burned 1,800 acres near Pepperdine University, prompting coastal evacuations amid high winds and destroying some buildings. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
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The fire also caused officials to close the Pacific Coast Highway between Topanga Canyon Boulevard and Corral Canyon Road while people were evacuated, Fox 11 Los Angeles reported.
For fire evacuation updates and emergency information, visit the Los Angeles County Incident Response website.
