By Redaccion
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Thousands of Southern California residents were under evacuation orders Tuesday as firefighters battled a wind-driven wildfire in Malibu.
The blaze threatened seaside mansions and Pepperdine University, where students watched flames race down hillsides beneath a crimson sky.
While a “minimal number” of homes were destroyed, the exact count was not immediately available, according to Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony C. Marrone. An Associated Press photographer witnessed at least one home and a vehicle fully engulfed in flames.
Abigail Ballhagen, a junior at Pepperdine University, described the chaotic scene when power failed late Monday. Students began screaming as the fire worsened, prompting evacuations from dormitories to the library. Ballhagen and her co-resident assistant, Bethany Kronlund, were tasked with leading students to safety.
“It felt super apocalyptic,” Ballhagen said.
Around 3,000 students sheltered on campus, some in a library while others, still in pajamas, gathered on a sports field as flames illuminated the night. A vehicle fleeing the area sped past burning palm trees, its tires scattering embers.
The university reported Tuesday that the worst of the fire had moved past the campus. Michael Friel, a Pepperdine spokesperson, confirmed that while parts of the school grounds were “singed,” there was no significant damage.
The fire spread under dangerous conditions fueled by Santa Ana winds, which are expected to persist into Wednesday. These dry, gusty winds push inland air toward the coast, intensifying wildfires.
Chief Marrone said over 1,000 firefighters were working to contain the blaze before stronger winds returned around 2 p.m. “Time is of the essence for us to gain control and start containment,” he said during a morning press briefing.
Nick Smyth, a resident of the Serra Retreat neighborhood near Malibu Pier, described fleeing with his family as flames neared their home. Smyth’s wife had prepared emergency bags before they went to bed, and a neighbor’s warning sent them scrambling in the early hours.
“With flames lapping the tops of the mountains, we grabbed the kids and left,” Smyth said, adding that his children were shaken by the experience. “They woke up to an inferno outside their bedroom.” While he believes his home survived, he acknowledged others were not as fortunate.
Fire crews worked through the night to defend homes in steep canyons, where some residents evacuated on foot, bringing their horses along. By morning, heavy smoke hovered over Pepperdine and the nearby mountains. Although the school lifted its shelter-in-place order, classes and finals were canceled for the day.
Pepperdine reassured the community that “the worst of the fire has passed.” However, smaller spot fires remained on campus, and fire crews stayed on-site to monitor and extinguish them.
Meanwhile, north-to-northeast winds of 30 to 40 mph, with gusts up to 65 mph, were forecast to intensify later Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.
Approximately 40,000 customers lost power Monday night, including 11,000 in Los Angeles County, as Southern California Edison enacted preemptive outages to reduce wildfire risks. Gabriela Ornelas, an Edison spokesperson, said most of Malibu’s power was shut off around 6 or 7 p.m. Monday.
This latest blaze has drawn comparisons to the 2018 Woolsey Fire, which devastated Malibu, killing three people and destroying 1,600 homes. That fire was determined to have been sparked by Edison equipment.
