Malibu wildfire destroys homes and forces evacuations in California

BBC:

Thousands have been ordered to evacuate near the city of Malibu in the US state of California after a fast-moving wildfire broke out and burned hundreds of acres – including several homes.

The blaze has been dubbed the Franklin Fire by authorities, who say it started in Malibu Canyon at about 22:50 local time on Monday (06:50 GMT).

A mandatory evacuation order is in place for a wide swathe of Malibu. No injuries have been reported but the blaze has destroyed multiple houses.

It is not yet clear what caused the fire but the region has been under a red-flag warning, meaning conditions are ripe for extreme fires.

Malibu itself is a small, upmarket city west of Los Angeles that is popular with celebrities. Homes owned by stars including Lady Gaga, Beyonce and Jay Z were reportedly among those in the evacuation zone.

More than 2,700 acres of land have so far been burned, according to the latest update from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).

Photos showed the aftermath of the blaze’s path, with burned out cars and buses as well as the charred remains of homes.