Franklin Fire in Malibu grows to 4,000+ acres with 30% containment after homes destroyed

The Santa Ana winds weakened late Tuesday morning as firefighters work to put out the Franklin Fire in Malibu.

However, a red flag warning will continue through early Wednesday morning.

As expected, the winds began whipping Monday night, helping the fire chew its way into thick vegetation and grow to more than 2,600 acres as of Tuesday around noon.

Although the winds are expected to drop off after 2 p.m., it will still be a "very windy day'' across most of the region, exacerbated by dry conditions noted by low humidity levels, forecasters said.

City News Service, Inc. contributed to this report.

Matthew Ryder said he and his partner fled their home with their three goats and small pot-bellied pig named Penelope as flames closed in.

They had their animal evacuation plan set some time ago, so when they saw the fire creeping over the ridge toward their home late Monday night, they were able to move quickly and head to safety.

"For me it felt surreal, because you always see wildfires in the news, you smell the smoke from a distance, the cloud is there, it's on TV, but to see flames marching toward you and your home, it's kind of an emotional feeling," Ryder said.

"For me it felt surreal, because you always see wildfires in the news, you smell the smoke from a distance, the cloud is there, it's on TV, but to see flames marching toward you and your home, it's kind of an emotional feeling," said area resident Matthew Ryder.

The Franklin Fire has now burned 2,593 acres in the Malibu area, according to Cal Fire. A red flag warning remains in effect for much of Southern California. Extremely dry conditions are fueling the blaze that broke out late Monday night.

Emergency responders on Tuesday discouraged residents in the Malibu area from using sprinklers at their homes as the massive Franklin Fire continued to burn with 0% containment.

At a news conference held by Los Angeles County sheriff's and fire officials, water customers were urged to make sure residential hoses and sprinklers were turned off in an effort to keep as much water resources available to firefighters as possible.

Concerns over possible low water pressure were an issue during the recent firefights against the Mountain Fire in Ventura County and the Bridge Fire in Wrightwood.

The Franklin Fire was burning amid dangerous fire conditions because of notorious Santa Ana winds expected to last into at least Wednesday afternoon. An evacuation order encompassed about 6,000 people and more than 2,000 structures.