MALIBU, Calif, Dec 11, (AP): Weather conditions were forecasted to improve this week in Southern California, aiding firefighters in their battle against a wind-driven wildfire that's forced up to 20,000 people - including performers Cher, Dick Van Dyke and his wife - from their homes. Residents under evacuation orders and warnings on Tuesday waited anxiously to see whether their properties had been spared by the so-called Franklin Fire, which erupted late Monday and grew to more than 2,800 acres (1,133 hectares) in under 24 hours.

The National Weather Service late Tuesday said the strongest Santa Ana winds, with gusts that reached 40 mph (64 kph), have passed. The notorious Santa Ana winds are withering, dry gusts that sweep out of the interior toward the coast, pushing back moist ocean breezes. Even as the weather was expected to improve, forecasters said gusty winds will continue through Wednesday morning, especially in the mountains, and critical fire conditions remain.

Much of the devastation occurred in 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. Flames burned near celebrities’ seaside mansions, horse farms and Pepperdine University, where some 3,000 students were forced to shelter in place on campus.

Many evacuated their dorms to the library through smoke and ash as flames roared in the canyon nearby. It was not immediately known how the blaze started. Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony C. Marrone said a preliminary aerial assessment estimates that seven structures were destroyed and eight structures damaged.

"This has been a traumatic 20 hours for the city of Malibu,” said Malibu Mayor Doug Stewart. The Malibu City Hall was in the fire’s path, so officials had to relocate to nearby Calabasas as a base for emergency operations, he continued. Many major fires have burned in Malibu, and there's now a familiar cycle where once-lush vegetation is charred.

"It burns, it grows back, and we’re resilient and strong,” the mayor said. Van Dyke, one of many celebrities with homes in Malibu, said he and his wife, Arlene Silver, had evacuated as the fire swept in. The actor turns 99 on Friday. "Arlene and I have safely evacuated with our animals except for Bobo escaped as we were leaving,” said Van Dyke, referring to one of their cats. "We’re praying he’ll be OK and that our community in Serra Retreat will survive these terrible fires.”