It was what everyone feared when a fire erupted this week amid red flag conditions.
Firefighters were called at 3:15 on Monday morning to deal with an initially reported 6-acre fire near the Malibu Knolls neighborhood in the Malibu Civic Center area.
Mayor Skylar Peak said the fire was started by a homeless encampment. He said that this is not the first Malibu fire to start in this way.
Malibu resident Kyle Krutenat said it made him feel better to know how quickly the fire was put out, but the cause of the fire is unsettling.
“I believe the City of Malibu should start cracking down on that and start regulating the homeless community a little more,” said Krutenat. “I think there are easy ways to do this through incorporating a Salvation army and stuff like that where they can stay.”
Peak commended the local fire stations for a job well done.
Evacuations were temporarily ordered for residents on Harbor Vista Road, Malibu Canyon Road and Malibu Crest.
Krutenat said it was unsettling to know how close the fire was to local residencies.
While the blaze was estimated to be 6 acres, firefights later changed the figure to approximately 2.6 acres.
The L.A. County Fire Department reporters 213 firefighters were on the ground to help put out the fire.
By 4:50 a.m, the blaze was 95 percent contained.