Malibu wildfire forces thousands to evacuate as firefighters battle rapidly spreading blaze

Around 5,000 people have been evacuated from their homes in Malibu

Firefighters are battling a rapidly spreading wildfire in Malibu as around 5,000 people have been told to leave their homes.

The blaze, named the Franklin Fire, has burned through more than 1,800 acres of land and nearly tripled in size in just an hour. There are 2,043 properties under evacuation orders, according to Malibu Fire Department.

The scale of the damage is so far unclear, however “it's certain some number of homes are definitely going to be badly damaged,” Matt Myerhoff, a spokesperson for the city of Malibu, told KABC-TV.

Firefighters are battling a fast spreading wildfire in Malibu, California. Credit: AP

Students at Pepperdine University sheltered in the library as the fire intensified near the campus.

“Just seeing the flames grow and seeing that bright red color of fire just get brighter and brighter and brighter - it was so scary,” student Gabrielle Salgado told KABC-TV.

Fire engines were on campus and helicopters dropped water collected from nearby lakes onto the fire.

The university later said the worst of the fire had pushed past the campus.

Southern California's notorious Santa Ana winds are worsening conditions, with gusts forecast to increase to around 40mph.

Power to tens of thousands of people had been shut off by Monday night as authorities worked to mitigate the impacts of the strong winds.

The blaze, named the Franklin Fire, has burned through more than 1,800 acres of land. Credit: AP

Santa Anas are dry, warm and gusty northeast winds that blow from the interior of Southern California toward the coast and offshore.

They typically occur during the autumn months and continue through winter and into early spring.

The Weather Service issued a red flag warning for high fire risk with a rare “particularly dangerous situation" order starting at 8 pm Monday into Tuesday for Los Angeles and Ventura counties.

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