California fire grows as crews fight to control blaze

Fire crews in California are continuing to battle a wildfire in the scenic ocean-side community of Malibu that grew dramatically overnight and caused thousands to evacuate, including a host of celebrity residents.

The fire had roared through more than 4,000 acres as of Tuesday evening - growing by nearly 40% since the day before - but firefighters were working to cut through the blaze and had it about 7% contained.

The so-called Franklin Fire broke out late Monday night near Pepperdine University and destroyed several homes but the school appeared out of harm's way as of Wednesday.

Fierce winds that were helping fuel the fire started to subside on Wednesday, according to weather officials, giving some respite to the over 1,500 emergency officials on site to battle the blaze.

About 20,000 remain under evacuation warnings or orders in the upscale southern California city, which is home to an array of celebrities. Among those forced to flee were celebrities Dick Van Dyke and Cher. Star Wars actor Mark Hamill posted on social media that he planned to remain at home despite the fire hazard.

Students at Pepperdine University, a private Christian university along the coastline of Pacific Ocean, had been forced to shelter in place late Monday as flames from the blaze approached buildings on campus.

Videos showed students in the library as flames licked the sides of the campus.

"There was a lot of anxiety going on, because everyone was shouting things, like, 'It's coming closer, we're going to die,'" Charis Kai, 19, told the New York Times.

She said that students, who had gathered to sing and pray during the fire, had decided to stop looking out the windows due to fear.

"When you see the fire coming closer, that's what makes everything worse," she told the newspaper.

Michael Friel, a university spokesman, said that no injuries were reported and no structures on campus had sustained any major damage.

Mr Friel told BBC News on Wednesday that administrators were "so impressed with the resilience" of students, many of whom were holding late-night exam study sessions ahead of final exams or were jolted awake in the middle of the night on Monday and forced to flee their dormitories.

Officials have not yet determined what caused the fire. Businesses, schools and major roads around Malibu remain closed as of Wednesday, due to the continuing risk.

Meanwhile, the fierce Santa Ana winds that carry dry air from inland deserts have begun to subside and are forecast to decline further on Wednesday evening.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire) said firefighters are aggressively working to prevent any further damage.

"The deep and rugged terrain, along with the strong winds and low humidity, continue to pose challenges for firefighters," the agency said on Wednesday.

Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony Marrone said in an update on Wednesday morning that at least seven structures, including homes, have been destroyed. An unknown number of additional buildings have been damaged.

He added that nearly 20,000 people are under evacuation orders or warnings.

Homes owned by stars including Lady Gaga, Beyonce and Jay Z were reportedly among those in the evacuation zone.

Van Dyke was among the stars forced to flee, he said in a post on Facebook on Tuesday. The Mary Poppins star, who turns 99 on Friday, said he and his wife Arlene safely left with their pets, except for one cat named Bobo, which remains missing.

"We're praying he'll be OK and that our community in Serra Retreat will survive these terrible fires," he wrote on Facebook.

Witnesses told KABC-TV that the home belonging to the actor's neighbour had caught fire, but that Van Dyke's was untouched.

Barbra Streisand is another famous resident of Malibu, however, her publicist told the New York Times it was unclear whether she has evacuated.