Franklin Fire nearly doubles to 3,983 acres burned

Dec. 11 (UPI) -- Southern California's Franklin Fire is being blamed for seven buildings being destroyed as it nearly doubled in size over the past day, officials said late Tuesday.

The wildfire near Malibu's Pepperdine University led to the institution canceling finals and other activities as students were ordered to shelter in place. The fire has now burned more than 3,983 acres after charring 2,300 the day before.

The fire is located north of the Pacific Coast Highway near Malibu Canyon Road.

"Firefighters actively worked on containment efforts along the perimeter of the fire," said a statement from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. "The deep and rugged terrain, along with the strong winds and low humidity, continue to pose challenges for firefighters.

CalFire said the blaze burned 600 additional acres as 1,500 firefighters joined in the fight. Because of the continuing strong Santa Ana winds, a "red flag" warning has remained in effect for the area through Wednesday afternoon.

Chief Anthony Marrone, of the Los Angeles County Fire Department, said his team is deploying water-dropping aircraft but warned that those alone will not extinguish the blaze.

"We always have to follow up with personnel on the ground to actually cut a physical line around the fire," Marrone said, according to KTLA-TV.