NEWSCher and Dick Van Dyke Forced to Evacuate Their Malibu Homes After 'Dangerous' Wildfire Wreaks Havoc
Cher and Dick Van Dyke were among 2,000 Malibu residents forced to evacuate due to a wildfire.
Cher and Dick Van Dyke were among the 2,000 Malibu residents forced to flee their homes after a scary wildfire, also known as Franklin Fire, tore through the area on Monday night, December 9.
Dick Van Dyke and his wife, Arlene, evacuated their $8 million mansion.
Van Dyke, 98, took to Facebook the following day to reassure everyone that he and his wife, Arlene, had reached a secure location.
“Arlene and I have safely evacuated with our animals except for Bobo, [who] escaped as we were leaving,” he wrote, referring to his beloved pet. “We’re praying he’ll be ok and that our community in Serra Retreat will survive these terrible fires.”
Hours later, the Mary Poppins star reiterated his concern for the orange cat they had to leave behind in a video post, writing, “Hoping Bobo is ok.”
Posted by Cindy Rohrbough on Saturday, December 14, 2019
ABC News reported that while the house across the street was reduced to ashes, the legendary actor’s $8 million hillside mansion remained untouched.
Cher is currently staying at a hotel alongside her pets, her publicist claimed.
Cher, 78, also evacuated her Malibu home and sought refuge in a hotel with her pets, her publicist confirmed to The New York Times on Tuesday, December 10.
Joe Sirard, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Los Angeles, stated that the Franklin Fire was intensified by strong Santa Ana winds and low humidity.
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“We’re still getting gusting and erratic winds as we're expecting more winds up to 50 mph overnight in the highest elevations of the fire area,” Sirard told USA TODAY. “It’s just a very dangerous situation. The crews are obviously doing their best to fight the fire, but it’s still hard to contain at this time.”
Dick Van Dyke was able to get away from the fire.
By Tuesday night, the wildfire had scorched more than 3,000 acres in Southern California, destroying homes, horse farms and even threatening Pepperdine University.
The university took quick action, keeping 3,000 students safe as flames surrounded the campus.
“Ash was everywhere, embers were everywhere,” one student recounted of the terrifying ordeal.
Malibu’s City Hall also faced the threat of the encroaching blaze, forcing officials to relocate to nearby Calabasas.
The authorities are still investigating the cause of the Franklin Fire.
Doug Stewart, Malibu’s mayor, described the situation as a “traumatic 20 hours” for the city.
“It burns, it grows back, and we’re resilient,” Stewart said, reflecting on the city’s ability to recover from such devastation.
Firefighters have been battling the Franklin Fire under extremely challenging conditions, including strong winds, low humidity and rugged terrain. More than 1,500 firefighters have been assigned to the scene, while the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department coordinated evacuations and road closures.
During a news conference Tuesday night, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone shared an initial assessment, revealing that seven structures were destroyed and eight others were damaged.
"This was from an aerial view that we were able to look at," he said. "Damage inspection teams have been assigned to the incident, and they will assist with a more accurate accounting of incident losses tomorrow."
As for the cause of the inferno, authorities are still investigating, according to CalFire.
In the meantime, the City of Malibu announced that all local schools would remain closed until further notice.
