Malibu wildfire prompts evacuation orders and warnings for 20,000, including Dick Van Dyke, Cher

MALIBU, Calif. (AP) — Weather conditions are forecast to improve this week in Southern California and aid firefighters in their battle against a wildfire that’s forced up to 20,000 people from their homes. The blaze has grown to more than 6 square miles by Wednesday morning. It was not immediately known how the Franklin Fire started. It tore through part of Malibu, a community of about 10,000 people on the western edge of Los Angeles renowned for its stunning scenery of seaside bluffs and Zuma Beach featured in Hollywood films. Celebrities, including performers Cher, Dick Van Dyke and his wife, were among the evacuees.