California wildfires: Dick Van Dyke, Cher, Barbra Streisand evacuate homes
What's the story
The raging Franklin Fire in Southern California has driven thousands of residents, including Hollywood stars Dick Van Dyke, Cher, and Barbra Streisand out of their homes.
The fire started as a small brushfire on Monday night (local time) and rapidly spread across the Pacific Coast Highway due to strong winds.
It has now reached the ocean, prompting mandatory evacuation orders for over 6,000 people and 2,000 structures.
Celebrity evacuation
Van Dyke and his wife evacuated, leaving the cat behind
Van Dyke, who turns 99 on Friday, took to Facebook to announce that he and his wife Arlene Silver had safely evacuated their $8 million hillside home.
However, they were forced to leave behind their beloved cat Bobo in the chaos.
"Arlene and I have safely evacuated with our animals except for Bobo escaped as we were leaving," the Mary Poppins actor wrote.
"We're praying he'll be ok and that our community in Serra Retreat will survive these terrible fires."
Safe retreat
Cher also evacuated to safety amid fire threat
Cher, another area resident, evacuated with her pets on Monday night.
Her publicist confirmed to The New York Times that the Believe singer is currently taking shelter in a hotel.
Meanwhile, there is no update on whether two-time Oscar winner Streisand has evacuated or not.
The Franklin Fire has already spread across more than 2,800 acres and remains largely uncontained.
Escalating threat
Franklin fire threatens structures, forces school closures
Reportedly, the Franklin Fire has threatened structures in the Serra Retreat area and burned near seaside mansions and Pepperdine University.
Students at the university were forced to take shelter in the school's library as they watched the blaze intensify.
The fire also led to school closures and a section of the Pacific Coast Highway being shut down.
An estimated 8,100 homes and buildings are considered under threat from this wildfire.
Worsening conditions
Santa Ana winds exacerbate California wildfire situation
The Franklin Fire has been fueled by the Santa Ana winds, which can blow up to 64km/h without notice.
The winds are expected to continue until Wednesday, further worsening the wildfire threat.
The cause of the fire is still unknown. However, it is part of a larger trend of increasing wildfires across California and other parts of the US West due to climate change.