Malibu (dpa) – Cooler weather and easing winds are making the fight against the destructive wildfire in the Californian coastal city of Malibu easier. According to the authorities, around a fifth of the so-called Franklin Fire was successfully contained through a large-scale operation by the fire department. Many districts had been evacuated since the flames broke out on Monday, and the first residents in some regions have now been able to return home.
The major fire, which broke out for reasons that are still unclear, had now spread to an area of more than 1,600 hectares. More than 1,700 firefighters are temporarily battling the flames. According to the initial assessment, nine buildings burned down and six other houses were damaged. According to the fire department, these numbers could still rise.
Thousands of residents were affected by evacuations, including celebrities such as singer Cher, actresses Jane Seymour and Mira Sorvino, and actors Mark Hamill and Dick Van Dyke.
Van Dyke, who celebrates his 99th birthday on December 13, wrote on Facebook that he and his wife had escaped to safety with their pets. Van Dyke said on Thursday on the “Today Show” that he saw the wall of flames coming over a hill towards their house. He tried to set up a water hose, but fell exhausted to the ground. Neighbors then helped him in his car. When he and his wife returned, they found their house intact.
In November 2018, a fire raging around Malibu destroyed large areas of land and destroyed more than 1,500 homes, including several celebrity villas. The houses of presenter Thomas Gottschalk, US singer Miley Cyrus and actor Gerard Butler, among others, burned down.
