Malibu Residents Return Home as Damage Assessments Near Completion
The City of Malibu has released updates on the Franklin Fire as it moves into the recovery phase, detailing progress on containment, damage assessments, and resources for affected residents and businesses.
SCE issued a PSPS Alert for high winds/fire risk from Tues afternoon to Wed evening, potentially causing outages. Affected areas: Malibu circuits (Cuthbert, Maguire, Merlin, Serra). Charge devices, and check supplies. For updates, visit http://sce.com/psps. Duration: If power is shut off, restoration typically takes 8 hours but may be delayed if daylight is needed for safe inspections.
The Franklin Fire has stabilized at 4,037 acres and is now 42% contained, with crews working to secure control lines and extinguish interior heat sources.
Preliminary damage assessment report:
- Residential structures: 8 single-family homes were destroyed, and 14 were damaged.
- Commercial structures: 7 damaged.
- Outbuildings: 11 destroyed, 5 damaged.
- Total structures impacted: 46
Damage assessments are approximately 95% complete, with final figures expected soon.
Evacuation orders have been downgraded to warnings, allowing all residents to return to their homes.
- Fully reopened: Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) is open in both directions.
- Soft closures: Limited to residents with proper ID on Las Flores Canyon Road, Carbon Canyon Road, Sweetwater Canyon Drive, Puerco Canyon Road, and Corral Canyon Road (all north of PCH).
- Hard closure: Malibu Canyon Road remains closed between Piuma Road and Civic Center Way.
Please slow down while driving through soft closure areas. Access to these areas is still restricted to residents only. Please have valid ID ready at checkpoints and drive carefully as emergency personnel continue working in the area. Traffic info http://MalibuCity.org/FranklinFire
Malibu will host a Local Assistance Center on Tuesday, Dec. 17, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at City Hall. The one-stop center will provide:
- Resources for rebuilding and recovery, including permit guidance.
- Information on debris cleanup and winter weather preparations.
- Support for reconnecting utilities and accessing recovery services.
City Hall will resume normal operations on Wednesday, Dec. 18, at 8 a.m. That evening, a town hall and community forum will take place at 6 p.m. to provide updates, address resident concerns, and share recovery resources.
Residents can view a recorded community update on recovery efforts here:
Malibu officials emphasized their commitment to supporting residents and businesses through the recovery process while continuing firefighting and safety efforts.
