… The Franklin fire is burning within much of the footprint of 2018’s devastating Woolsey fire, which destroyed more than 1,600 structures and burned about 97,000 acres in Malibu, the Santa Monica Mountains and surrounding communities of Thousand Oaks, Oak Park and Agoura Hills. Research shows wildfires have grown more intense in recent decades, fueled by wildfire weather (hot, dry conditions plus wind) that’s become more frequent — especially in California. “Southern California had a couple of wet years in a row, and that means a build-up of fuels in wildlands,” Alex Hall, director of UCLA’s Center for Climate Science, wrote in a statement. “The current wet season has been very dry so far. The sequence of very wet followed dry conditions sets the stage for big wildfires.”

Other wildfire articles:

• ABC 7 (Los Angeles): Southern California fire grows to more than 3,800 acres in Malibu amid dangerous conditions
• BBC: Celebrities among thousands fleeing Malibu wildfire
• The New York Times: Wildfire roars into Malibu, burning homes and forcing evacuations
• Los Angeles Times: Winds whip Southland, fuel Malibu fire: Where SoCal Edison has shut off power
• San Diego Union-Tribune: Fierce Santa Ana winds topple big rig trucks in San Diego County and push the region toward drought