The beaches are empty in Malibu as a wildfire tears through swaths of the iconic Southern California coastline, consuming homes and vehicles and forcing residents – including legendary actor Dick Van Dyke – to flee their coveted hillside properties.

MALIBU, Calif. (AP) — Thousands of Southern California residents were under evacuation orders and warnings Tuesday as firefighters battled a wind-driven wildfire in Malibu that burned near celebrities’ seaside mansions, horse farms and Pepperdine University, where students watched as flames raced down hillsides and the sky turned deep red.

A ferocious fire tore through Malibu, California, on Tuesday, destroying homes and forcing thousands to evacuate one of the most sought-after areas in the United States.Tens of thousands of people across southern California had their electricity cut off.