A wildfire in the beach community of Malibu, California, raged unchecked on Wednesday after destroying several structures and forcing residents to flee and schools to close in the area. More than 1,500 firefighters were battling the Franklin Fire,

Cooler weather and diminishing winds on Thursday were easing the battle against the widespread wildfire affecting many Hollywood stars in the California coastal city of Malibu. About 30% of the so-called Franklin fire has been successfully contained due to a large-scale firefighting operation,

Real time maps from California Fire Department show how the blaze has spread to over 3,000 acres of land – an area twice the size of Central Park