Thousands of Malibu residents, including Cher and Dick Van Dyke, have evacuated as a wildfire spreads through Southern California.
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The Franklin Fire, first reported as a small brushfire around 10:45 p.m. on Monday, has quickly escalated into a large blaze. It has crossed the Pacific Coast Highway and reached the ocean, leading to mandatory evacuation orders.
Strong winds pushed the flames into the Serra Retreat area early Tuesday at around 1 a.m., putting nearby structures at serious risk.
Cher, the iconic 78-year-old singer and actress, sought safety with her pets on Monday night, according to the New York Times. Her publicist confirmed that she is currently taking shelter in a hotel.
Meanwhile, Barbara Streisand’s team is still awaiting confirmation on whether the 82-year-old actress and singer has evacuated, per the outlet.
Dick Van Dyke Lost His Cat in the Chaos of the Raging Wildfire
The legendary Dick Van Dyke, approaching his 99th birthday this Friday, shared on Facebook that he and his wife, Arlene Silver, also safely evacuated their home amidst the chaos. However, they were heartbroken to leave behind their beloved cat in the rush to escape.
“Arlene and I have safely evacuated with our animals except for Bobo escaped as we were leaving,” the iconic actor wrote in his post. “We’re praying he’ll be ok and that our community in Serra Retreat will survive these terrible fires.”
Van Dyke also posted a short video of his beloved cat getting into shenanigans in his garden.
“Hoping Bobo is ok,” he wrote alongside the clip.
According to ABC News, a house across the street from Van Dyke’s residence was destroyed by fire. However, the veteran actor’s home was fortunately untouched by the flames.
By Tuesday afternoon, the fire had spread to over 2,800 acres and was largely uncontained. Around 6,000 people and 2,000 structures were ordered to evacuate, with at least 8,100 homes and buildings at risk.
Driven by unpredictable Santa Ana winds reaching up to 40 mph, the flames keep spreading. These strong winds are expected to continue through Wednesday, making containment difficult.
The cause of the fire is still unknown.