Malibu fire celeb updates: Dick Van Dyke's cat safe after evacuation, Mark Hamill shelters
The Franklin fire is raging through California's Malibu coast, causing evacuations and ravaging homes, as some celebrities like Mark Hamill shelter in place and others like Dick Van Dyke are forced to flee.
Hollywood legend Van Dyke was one of the celebrities in the affected area, saying on Facebook that he evacuated the area with his wife Arlene, but his cat Bobo escaped.
"Arlene and I have safely evacuated with our animals except for (cat) Bobo escaped as we were leaving. We’re praying he’ll be ok and that our community in Serra Retreat will survive these terrible fires," Van Dyke wrote.
But on Thursday morning, Van Dyke's verified Facebook account shared a fan page update that said "Dick and Arlene were able to return to their home this morning. Thankfully, their home has been unharmed and Bobo the cat was safe. Thank you to everyone that has sent messages of love and support."
For his part, Hamill took to Instagram on Tuesday to share with fans that he would not evacuate his California home, with the "Star Wars" star telling his 6.2 million followers on the platform to "stay safe."
"We're in lockdown because of the Malibu fires. Please stay safe everyone! I'm not allowed to leave the house, which fits in perfectly with my elderly-recluse lifestyle," Hamill wrote.
The Franklin Fire continued to explode in size overnight and covers 3,983 acres as of Wednesday morning with 7% containment, according to CalFire. Late Tuesday night, officials said 2,667 had burned. It was fueled by strong Santa Ana winds and low humidity, a dangerous combination prompting red flag warnings in the region through Wednesday evening.
The fire was discovered Monday, just before 11 p.m. local time. The cause is under investigation.
Los Angeles County is one of the areas under a red flag warning, according to the National Weather Service. Areas like Filmore and Santa Clarita are in "very extreme fire danger." But good news seems to be coming, according to the NWS, as winds and other fire weather conditions will begin to improve significantly by later in the day.
"Conditions are likely to improve by this afternoon or evening," the weather service said. "All Red Flag Warnings are set to expire by 6 pm today."
Contributing: Julia Gomez, Jeanine Santucci, Doyle Rice