Franklin Fire 30% contained; 4,037 acres burned

Dec. 13 (UPI) -- California firefighters managed to get the Malibu-area Franklin Fire 30% contained and away from homes on Friday despite it rolling into steep canyon terrain that makes it more difficult to reach.

The Franklin Fire has destroyed 12 structures since Monday when it was first reported, including six homes, while another 11 had been damaged, the Los Angeles County Fire Department said.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, said the Franklin Fire has burned 4,037 acres near Pepperdine University. The school has spent most of the time under shelter-in-place orders.

"Throughout the day, fire activity remained minimal, and no significant fire growth occurred," Cal Fire said on Thursday. "The fire continues to smolder in steep and very dangerous terrain. Aerial suppression efforts in those areas have been successful in keeping the fire subdued."

Cal Fire said that Mother Nature has given firefighters a hand with cooler temperatures and higher humidity along with the slowing of the Santa Ana winds that initially fueled the wildfire.

Officials said they are not concentrating on returning people who were forced to evacuate back to their homes and businesses as soon as it is safe to do so.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said earlier in the weekthat the state received a Fire Management Assistance grant from FEMA to help secure additional resources to fight the hard-to-reach blaze.