Thousands of Californians have been ordered to evacuate after a wildfire spread throughout the Malibu area late Monday night and early Tuesday morning, at one point threatening Pepperdine University.  More than 6,000 people were ordered to evacuate as the blaze, referred to as the Franklin Fire, spread out of Malibu Canyon, the Los Angeles Times reported. The city of Malibu said that the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department was going door-to-door to conduct evacuations and asked residents to comply with instructions from law enforcement and fire officials.  The fire covered about 10 acres at the beginning of the night on Monday but quickly spread to cover an area of at least 1,800 acres by early Tuesday morning, including around Malibu Pier. Firefighters from the city of Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, Orange County, and Ventura County have all responded to the blaze, which was fueled by rapid wind gusts. The National Weather Service warned Southern California residents that Santa Ana winds would present the “highest possible” fire danger to the area. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.    MALIBU: Photos taken between 12 am to 3 a.m. The #FranklinFire has now reached 1,822 Acres per @CAL_FIRE https://t.co/Hikodgsyjj pic.twitter.com/DWu2ZDKvPl — Samantha Bravo (@samanthavbravo) December 10, 2024 Pepperdine University, which has its main campus in Malibu, sheltered in place and canceled classes and finals due to the fires.   “The Pepperdine community continues to shelter in place in Payson Library and the Tyler Campus Center,” the school posted on X early Tuesday morning. “The Franklin fire has grown to 814 acres and flames are visible from the Malibu campus. There are numerous LA County Fire Department engines on campus and their helicopters are using the lakes in Alumni Park to pick up water to drop on the fire from above.” CHECK OUT THE DAILY WIRE HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE One video shared with Fox Weather shows the blaze visible from inside the campus library. A few hours later, the school said the fire had effectively passed campus.    Pepperdine University students watch the #FranklinFire burn #Malibu from inside the campus’ buildings https://t.co/p8n9vJHVCA pic.twitter.com/nzFTiEFYdT — FOX 11 Los Angeles (@FOXLA) December 10, 2024 “The University understands the worst of the fire has pushed past Pepperdine. However, there are smaller spot fires on campus that are not threatening life or structures, and fire resources remain on campus to address these spot fires as they occur,” the school said. “Additionally, power remains out for much of Malibu and therefore, to ensure the safety of our community, we will maintain the shelter-in-place protocol until at least daylight. The EOC will continue to update the community.”    The University understands the worst of the fire has pushed past Pepperdine. However, there are smaller spot fires on campus that are not threatening life or structures, and fire resources remain on campus to address these spot fires as they occur. Additionally, power remains out… — Pepperdine University (@pepperdine) December 10, 2024 The city of Malibu has been providing periodic updates on the fire throughout the night and has listed locations where both residents and their pets can shelter. 

A lucky observer caught the most incredible footage of an enormous manta ray swimming right by their boat, and the video will send chills down your spine! Micheal Bennett shared this stunning clip on social media, where it has received over three million views. It’s amazing to watch this graceful creature glide through the water, especially so close to the camera. Seeing a manta ray right next to a boat, you realize how large these aquatic animals truly are! @michealbennett1 ♬ Originalton – Cup Cut Trends Viewers were stunned by the beautiful footage, but a few commenters admitted that they were a little frightened by the gigantic fish. “I know they’re harmless, but this is why I only swim in swimming pools,” one person wrote. It’s easy to understand why some people would be afraid to encounter one of these creatures in the wild. After all, their size does make them look fairly intimidating! However, manta rays are pretty fascinating animals when you get to know them. In fact, you might have more in common with these fish than you realize! Here are some things you should know about manta rays. According to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, manta rays are very smart. They have excellent memories, and their brains are quite large compared to those of other fish! Something else that might surprise you about these creatures is that they love a good spa treatment. They often visit “cleaning stations” where fish called wrasse spend an hour nibbling “dead skin and parasites” off them. How relaxing! One of the most important things to note about manta rays is that they aren’t dangerous. In fact, humans pose far more of a threat to these animals than they do to us! Overfishing, pollution, and climate change have put them on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species. While this is certainly sad news, there are ways that we can help. You can visit the Great Barrier Reef Foundation’s donation page to learn more. You can find the source of this story’s featured image here. The post Boaters Capture Passing Glimpse Of Massive Manta Ray appeared first on InspireMore.

A video shared on X claims to show the Russian Air Force bombing Syrian rebels. Judging by the video from Idlib and its environs, the main location of the HTS deployment, it is now much more dangerous for the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham militants to be there than to walk the streets of Aleppo, which was controlled by […]

A viral image shared on Threads claims Tesla CEO and owner of X Elon Musk is not a U.S. citizen.   View on Threads   Verdict: False The claim is false. Musk became a U.S. citizen via a naturalization ceremony in 2002, according to Esquire and CNN. Fact Check: Musk was the “largest donor to […]

'I‘m just telling you what I see'

A screenshot of a headline shared on Facebook claims Japanese prosecutors are working to arrest Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates. Verdict: False The claim is false and originally stems from a Nov. 27 article published on “The People’s Voice,” a website that is known for spreading “fake news.” Additionally, a spokesperson for the Bill […]

HERO MARINE ACQUITTED... Manhattan Jury Finds Daniel Penny Not Guilty A Manhattan jury has found Daniel Penny not guilty on criminally negligent homicide in the death of Jordan Neely. Marine veteran Penny, 26, placed 30-year-old Neely in a chokehold after the older man began acting erratically on a New York City subway, according to law enforcement. Witnesses said Neely, a homeless man, was yelling and acting erratically on the F train after boarding, adding that they felt threatened by his behavior. Prosecutors said Penny held Neely in a chokehold for approximately six minutes.

'In great hands'