Malibu Man Stays Behind To Defend Homes From Franklin Fire: Report

MALIBU, CA — As the Franklin Fire tore through the lush coastal community of Malibu on Tuesday, one resident refused to evacuate and stayed behind to defend his home and others, KTLA reported.

The man reportedly declared victory over the fire, which has scorched 2,200 acres, closed all local schools, spurred mandatory evacuation orders and destroyed an unknown amount of homes since it ignited on Monday night.

“When you’re in Malibu and you’ve been through a couple of fires, you know you have to stay because the embers [can] float a mile and land on a roof or a lawn and you can put it out with a garden hose,” the man, only identified as Alec, told KTLA’s Erin Myers Tuesday morning.

He said he is using gas-powered water pumps that are set in his pool to "super-soak" the his house.

"We turn it into a tropical rainforest where nothing will catch on fire and then that frees us up to save the other houses. So, we saved five houses," he told the station.

Read more of Alec's story from KTLA.

The Franklin Fire is on a similar burn path as the devastating Woolsey Fire of 2018, which burned nearly 100,000 acres, destroyed 1,642 structures and killed three people.

The Franklin Fire exploded overnight in Malibu, growing from 5 acres to over 2,200 acres in just a matter of hours amid the Santa Ana winds, authorities said.

The blaze was initially reported at 10:50 p.m. Monday as a 5-acre brush fire at Malibu Canyon Road, but by 8 a.m. Tuesday it was more than 2,200 acres and had yet to be contained, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said at a morning press conference.
"We knew that this event was coming," Marrone said. "We seem to get one significant wildfire every time we have a strong Santa Ana event in Southern California.”

READ MORE ABOUT THE FRANKLIN FIRE:

• Homes Destroyed, Thousands Evacuated As Franklin Fire Reaches 2,200 Acres
• 15 Surreal Photos Show The Franklin Fire Burning In Malibu
• Malibu Fire Road Closures: Franklin Fire Shuts Down PCH