Fire made a run at this celebrity-studded Malibu enclave. Some neighbors stood their ground

Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times on Dec 10, 2024

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MALIBU, Calif. — Past the security gates of the Serra Retreat area of Malibu sits a small enclave of luxury homes, many of them gated or enclosed with walls.

The area is home to celebrities such as Patrick Dempsey and, at one time, Mel Gibson.

The Franklin fire made a run at the area, but the extent of the damage remains unclear. One home with a pool was nearly demolished; another was little more than a chimney and a pile of smoldering rubble.

Residents said some cars were also damaged, and some animals were killed in the fire.

Riding his e-bike as he checked on homes was Alec Gellis, 31, who said he and another friend, Abel Rodgers, 33, stayed behind to save their home and protect those of their neighbors.

Gellis said it was around 11 p.m when he was in his room resting and began hearing people screaming and honking. He said he went outside to check what the commotion was all about.

"I smelled smoke," he said. "The sky was red and the whole canyon was was lit up on the other side. ... We were surrounded by flames.

"Literally everywhere you looked there was fire," he said.

He and Gellis jumped into action, grabbing a hose connected to a machine that pumped water from the pool and began soaking everything.

"Bushes, the perimeter, just getting everything soaked," Gellis said. "Monsoon style."

He said he went into neighbors' yards and helped put out spot fires.He said firefighters responded quickly, but they were also busy trying to push back the flames.

For five hours, Gellis and Rodgers said they put out flames and repeatedly soaked everything that could possibly catch fire.

Gilles said embers were flying all over the place; he wore glasses in an effort to protect his eyes.

It was the second time he had to stay behind amid a fire. He said the first time was when the Woolsey fire hit. That 2018 blaze was also a windblown inferno. It destroyed 1,600 structures from Westlake Village to Malibu.

The Franklin fire was reported a few minutes before 11 p.m. Monday along Malibu Canyon Road in the hills north of Pepperdine University. Fanned by strong Santa Ana winds, the blaze moved at a fierce pace, exploding to more than 2,700 acres as of Tuesday afternoon with no containment.

Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said during a news conference Tuesday morning that a "minimal number" of homes had been destroyed, though he did not have an exact count of structures damaged. He urged residents to limit the use of lawn sprinklers to maintain water pressure for firefighters.

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(Los Angeles Times staff writer Richard Winton contributed to this report.)

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