Satellite photos show Franklin fire threatening Malibu neighborhoods

The Franklin fire had extended to nearly 4,000 acres and was just 7% contained Wednesday morning, according to Cal Fire.

Fire officials say that at least seven structures were destroyed. Photos from space show the extent of the damage and the areas affected.

The image below, taken on Tuesday, shows multiple smoke plumes rising and blowing out to sea as the wind-driven fire expanded.

Much of the area of the current fire was charred in 2018 by the Woolsey fire in an area expected to burn about once every seven years, said Joel Lane, a spokesperson for the Quick Reaction Force, a cooperative fleet of aircraft, pilots and support crew from Ventura, Orange and Los Angeles counties.

QRF helicopters arrived Tuesday morning, when the fire was already close to 1,200 acres. Crews were “battling pretty high winds and trying to drop anything in that type of wind can be kind of difficult,” Lane said. In those conditions, “the effectiveness kind of goes out the window.”

The video above shows what QRF crews saw upon arrival: a terrifying scene of flames burning out of control near homes and other structures.

By Tuesday evening, Lane said, QRF helicopters had began dropping retardant over Malibu as winds abated.

Piuma road in Malibu during the Franklin fire on Tuesday.

(Maxar Technologies)

The image above shows the fire line near Piuma Road in Malibu, with red flame retardant visible on the ground.

Normally, QRF’s mobile retardant plant — the apparatus on the ground that combines water and powder — can generate about 22,000 gallons of retardant per hour. “With three helitankers pulling 3,000 gallons each per trip,” the supply goes quickly, Lane said.

The image below shows a helicopter flying along the fire line.

A helicopter flies along the Franklin fire line near Piuma Road in Malibu on Tuesday.

(Maxar Technologies)

Water from nearby sources is also used to help quell the flames. In the image below, a helicopter scoops water from a pond at Pepperdine University’s Alumni Park.

Students at Pepperdine were treated to a frightening scene as they watched the flames approach their campus early Tuesday.

A helicopter scoops water from a pond at Pepperdine University during the Franklin fire.

(Maxar Technologies)

“It was terrifying,” said Matthew Morrison, an 18-year-old acting major, who watched the blaze from the library’s first floor. “The fire was so intense, it felt like it was battering the windows.”

The image below shows the campus from space on Tuesday. Students and faculty were told to stay inside fire-resistant buildings while nearby areas evacuated, in accordance with the school’s fire plan reviewed annually by the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

Smoke enshrouds Pepperdine University on Tuesday.

(Maxar Technologies)

Many other parts of Malibu were under evacuation orders Wednesday. Several roads were closed and shelters were open for those affected by the blaze.

Times staff writer Jenny Jarvie contributed to this report.