A large brush fire is burning in Malibu Canyon near Pepperdine University, prompting some evacuations for residents. 

The blaze, dubbed the Franklin Fire, was first reported a little after 10:45 p.m. near S. Malibu Canyon Road and Station Boundary just south of the Piuma area, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. 

As of 11:45 p.m., crews reported that the fire had already engulfed about 100 acres. While there were no structures damaged, some were threatened, according to firefighters.

Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies were working to evacuate residents living in zone MAL-C112, which includes the area east of Malibu Canyon Road and South of Piuma Road as well as the Serra Retreat. More information on evacuations is available on the Malibu city website. 

Multiple water-dropping aircraft were called to the scene as crews deemed the blaze a Third Alarm incident. 

It’s unclear how the fire started. 

California Highway Patrol officers closed Malibu Canyon from Mulholland Drive to Pacific Coast Highway as the firefight continued. 

Pepperdine school officials released a statement to note that they were closely monitoring the fire. 

“The fire is not currently affecting any University campus,” the statement said. “The Malibu Campus and local area may experience some power outages related to this incident.”

Weather officials raised concerns over fire danger that would impact most of Southern California to start the way. Unusually low humidity paired with a powerful Santa Ana winds movement created dangerous conditions, which led them to issue a “particularly dangerous situation red flag warning.”

In response, SoCal Edison has already warned tens of thousands of residents living throughout Los Angeles County that their service may be shut off if the winds intensify. 

Conditions bore similarities to the weather when the Mountain Fire erupted in Ventura County in early November. That blaze torched nearly 20,000 acres and destroyed more than 200 structures. 

This is a developing story. Check back for details. 

NEW YORK — Luigi Mangione, the suspected in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson outside a New York City hotel, is now charged with murder, according to court documents.

The New York City Police Department and Mayor Eric Adams announced on Monday the 26-year-old was taken into custody earlier in the day on forgery and illegal gun charges in Pennsylvania. At the time, he was still considered a person of interest in the case. 

“He matches the description of the identification we’ve been looking for, he’s also in possession of several items that we believe will connect him to this incident,” Adams said Monday. “How did we do it? Good old fashioned police work.”

NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said a tipster called police after seeing a man who looked like the person of interest at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania. 

“The suspect was in a McDonald’s and was recognized by an employee who then called local police. Responding officers questioned the suspect, who was acting suspiciously and was carrying multiple fraudulent IDs, as well as a U.S. passport,” she said. “Upon further investigation, officers recovered a firearm on his person, as well as a suppressor, both consistent with the weapon used in the murder. They also recovered clothing, including a mask, consistent with those warn by our wanted individual.”

“Additionally, officers recovered a handwritten document that speaks to both his motivation and mindset,” Tisch added.

NYPD officials described the weapon as a possible “ghost gun,” and said the written document was three pages long.

Tisch said Mangione was also found in possession of the same fake New Jersey ID the person of interest used to check into a hostel on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, where he was seen in surveillance images without a mask. He was later seen at the Port Authority bus terminal in Washington Heights and was believed to have boarded a bus there after the shooting.

UnitedHealthcare CEO shot and killed in Manhattan

Thompson, 50, was gunned down by a masked shooter on Dec. 4 outside the Hilton Midtown hotel, where UnitedHealthcare was set to hold its annual investors conference. 

The NYPD called it a “premeditated, preplanned, targeted attack,” and launched an intense manhunt. Police offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to an arrest, and the FBI later upped the ante to $50,000.

Investigators quickly began piecing together a timeline of the shooting, including the suspect’s movements and escape route. The next day, police released images of a person wanted for questioning, as they zeroed in on the hostel where he was staying.

Police had numerous clues early on in the investigation. They were able to trace the suspect’s movements prior to the shooting and his escape by bicycle through Central Park. 

Investigators spent days searching the park and found a backpack containing a jacket and Monopoly money, but it did not have the murder weapon. Dive teams in scuba gear continued to comb a pond near the park’s Bethesda Fountain for the gun.

Police also found expended shells at the scene that had “delay” and “deny” meticulously written on them. Investigators believe those words were related to a reference made by critics of the health insurance industry. 

Officers also recovered a cellphone from the scene, as well as a water bottle and a candy bar wrapper they believe the suspect left at a Starbucks prior to the shooting.

Meanwhile, investigators have been probing every aspect of Thompson’s life to try to find a motive. 

“They’re going to look at the business end, you have a company that’s laid people off. They’re going to look at the personal stories, and they’re going to focus on letters, desperate people who were denied care or tests or something that could’ve saved a life or who blame the company,” said former NYPD Deputy Commissioner for Intelligence and Counterterrorism John Miller.  

Thompson, a married father of two, had been in New York City for two days before he was murdered. His wife, Paulette, spoke about the family’s loss. 

“Brian was a wonderful person with a big heart and who lived life to the fullest,” she said. “He will be greatly missed by everybody. Our hearts are broken and we are completely devastated by this news.”

Check back soon for the latest updates on this developing story. 

contributed to this report.