Los Angeles, Dec 11 (IANS): A large wildfire in Malibu in Southern California has grown to over 2,700 acres (10.9 square kilometres) prompting evacuations due to dangerous fire conditions.
The fire, codenamed Franklin Fire, was reported Monday night. It started near Malibu Creek State Park in Los Angeles County, Xinhua news agency reported.
Power to tens of thousands of people had been shut off by Monday night as utilities worked to mitigate the impacts of the winds, as strong gusts can damage electrical equipment and spark wildfires, according to local media reports.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) has issued evacuation orders. The fire area is closed to public access.
There are approximately 18,000 people and 8,100 homes and businesses under evacuation orders or warnings, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna told reporters Tuesday. There are several shelters for displaced residents, he said.
"Widespread Red Flag conditions across much of Southern California due to Santa Ana Winds will continue to be a threat to residents and property throughout the week," said Cal Fire.
Cal Fire asked people to stay up to date with weather and fire conditions in their areas, and be prepared to evacuate if notified.
Currently the fire is active with no containment at all, according to Cal Fire live report.
The Santa Ana Winds peaked in strength Tuesday morning, fanning the fire and worsening conditions.
"Critical fire weather conditions are expected through at least Wednesday as a strong Santa Ana wind event continues across the burn area," according to the fire spot forecast of the US National Weather Service (NWS).
It will not be until Wednesday afternoon that winds and other fire weather conditions will begin to improve significantly, according to NWS.
Due to the ongoing fire and safety concerns, all Malibu schools were closed Tuesday, the city of Malibu announced.
More than 60,000 customers in California are without power, according to PowerOutage.us.
Pacific Coast Highway was closed between Carbon Canyon and Corral Canyon Road to evacuees only, according to Cal Fire.
Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said in a news briefing on Tuesday that "a minimal number" of homes had been destroyed. No serious injuries or fatalities have been reported so far.
The state of California secured a grant from the US Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to support fire response, Governor Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday.
A state of local emergency has also been declared in Los Angeles County due to "conditions of disaster" or "extreme peril to the safety of persons and property," said county board of supervisors chair Kathryn Barger.