Timeline: How the Franklin Fire exploded in size in its first critical hours, threatened Pepperdine

MALIBU, Calif. (KABC) -- Officials in Malibu reported significant overnight growth of the massive Franklin Fire that has forced thousands of people, including celebrities like Cher and Dick Van Dyke, from their homes, but forecasters said firefighters could soon get a break from improving weather conditions.

With much of Malibu under evacuation orders and warnings, residents waited anxiously to see whether their properties had been spared by the fire, which erupted late Monday and grew to more than 6 square miles. It was just 7% contained.

A timeline shows how the inferno was initially reported and exploded in size during subsequent hours, threatening Pepperdine University and seaside homes.

Monday

Shortly before 11 p.m. -- The fire erupts and swiftly moves south.

11:20 p.m. -- Massive flames are seen on hillsides as fire helicopters perform water drops in the darkness.

When the Franklin Fire broke out in Malibu, one group of men stayed behind and defended several homes against the flames.

11:23 p.m. -- Observing the fire from overhead, AIR7's Chris Cristi describes it as "nothing less than an ominous sight coming from the area around Pepperdine." The Los Angeles County Fire Department issues a mandatory evacuation order for the Serra Retreat community.

11:52 p.m. -- "The fire is not currently affecting any University campuses," Pepperdine says in a statement. "The Malibu campus and local area may experience some power outages related to this incident."

11:54 p.m. -- The size of the third-alarm brush fire is measured at 100 acres.

Tuesday

12:18 a.m. -- The city of Malibu announces the activation of its emergency operations center.

1:09 a.m. -- Pepperdine says it is activating its shelter-in-place protocol. Everyone on campus is directed to the Tyler Campus Center or Payson Library. Referring to the university's longstanding plans amid wildfire emergencies, Pepperdine issues a crucial reminder: "We do not evacuate the campus even when surrounding areas might - this shelter-in-place protocol is approved by LA County Fire and executed with their cooperation."

1:37 a.m. -- Dramatic flames are visible on hillsides near Cross Creek Road in Malibu, just north of PCH.

1:44 a.m. -- The fire is seen dangerously close to homes as it burns with 0% containment.

A Malibu woman is outlining some of the steps she took in advance that helped protect her home from the Franklin Fire.

2:09 a.m. -- Caltrans announces the closure of PCH between Topanga Canyon Boulevard and Corral Canyon Road, except for evacuations.

Sometime before 2:30 a.m. -- The fire jumps across PCH.

2:35 a.m. -- "This is our worst-case scenario," Malibu Mayor Doug Stewart says in a live interview with ABC7.

4:23 a.m. -- "We're going to have a long, long day ahead of us," AIR7's Scott Reiff says reporting from above the fire.

5:28 a.m. -- The closure of all Malibu schools is announced due to the fire and safety concerns.

6:32 a.m. -- As the sun rises over Malibu, Reiff notes that a significant wind event has not been observed in the hours between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. -- "and that has saved homes."

New satellite images from Maxar Technologies show a spectacular vantage point of the Franklin Fire in Malibu.

8:05 a.m. -- Pepperdine lifts its shelter-in-place protocol, only to reinstate it at 4:30 p.m. "Students will be in a shelter location for the duration of the night," a news release says.

7:11 p.m. -- The fire's size is estimated at 2,862 acres as it continues to burn uncontrolled.

Wednesday

12 a.m. -- The fire's acreage increases to 3,049 acres.

6:55 a.m. -- Pepperdine again rescinds its shelter-in-place order. "As a reminder about the ongoing power outage, Southern California Edison will seek confirmation from response agencies to inspect their circuits before restoring power, which will hopefully occur today," a statement says.

7 a.m. -- Officials announce that firefighters have achieved 7% containment of the blaze.