A cross overlooking Pepperdine University miraculously withstood a wildfire that came dangerously close to the Malibu, California, campus and forced students to shelter in place earlier this week.
A video shared by the campus on Wednesday shows a discernible hiking trail leading up to the unscathed cross surrounded by scorched dirt and vegetation.
The school shared an unattributed quote from someone who said they became “teary-eyed” and “grateful to God” as they moved closer to the cross.
The cross sits at the top of a hiking trail that extends three miles into the Santa Monica Mountains.
MALIBU WILDFIRE FORCES CELEBRITIES TO FLEE LUXURY HOMES AS DEVASTATION SPREADS
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A cross sitting atop the Santa Monica Mountains overlooking the campus of Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. (Pepperdine University)
The original cross burned down during the Woolsey Fire in 2018. The current 20-foot cross was placed there by the brothers of the Sigma Chi fraternity, the school said in a blog post.
In the meantime, firefighters are continuing to battle the blaze – dubbed the Franklin Fire – which was only 20% contained on Thursday.
The Franklin Fire rages through the upscale city of Malibu.(Mario Tama/Getty Images)
The flames were fed by powerful winds that swept through the region at the beginning of the week, making it difficult for firefighters to control the flames.
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FIREFIGHTERS STRUGGLE TO CONTAIN FAST-MOVING MALIBU WILDFIRE, PROMPTING EVACUATION ORDERS
The weather improved so much on Wednesday that meteorologists discontinued all red flag warnings, which indicate high fire danger, and crews were able to successfully push back against the flames.
The city, which is about 45 miles north of Los Angeles, is known for its rugged canyons, stunning bluffs and celebrities’ seaside mansions.
The Franklin Fire caused a shelter-in-place order at Pepperdine University in Malibu as flames surrounded the campus.(Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
More than 3,700 Malibu residents have been allowed to return to their homes, but another 1,600 people with homes in the city remained under evacuation orders. A
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ll told, some 20,000 residents in the city and neighboring areas have been affected by mandatory evacuation orders and warnings since the fire broke out late Monday.
The Franklin Fire rages through Malibu.(Mario Tama/Getty Images)
The evacuation orders impacted many celebrities who live in the city, including Cher, Jane Seymour and Dick Van Dyke, among others.
Early analysis shows little to no damage to structures at Pepperdine University. Final exams were postponed or canceled, and faculty members were determining how best to complete the semester, which ends this week.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Bradford Betz is a Fox News Digital breaking reporter covering crime, political issues, and much more.
An adolescent owl that was found stuck in a concrete mixer in southwestern Utah is finally on the mend, flying free and maybe a bit wiser from the ordeal.
The great horned owl somehow made his way into the truck-mounted mixer in late October and was discovered by workers pouring concrete at a resort construction site.
Lucky for him, a series of people gave a hoot about his predicament. Workers hosed the bird down before it was wrapped in a towel.
A great horned owl wakes from anesthesia in an aviary at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah, May 1, 2026. Best Friends Animal Society via AP
It took days for employees at the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab to pick the concrete from the bird’s face, chest and right wing, using forceps to carefully crack the dried debris and cleaning the feathers with toothbrushes and dish soap.
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The owl started its long recovery at an aviary run by the organization, and employees anxiously waited for it to grow new feathers. But the bird didn’t molt as predicted.
In early May, he underwent a procedure called imping, which uses adhesive to graft donor feathers onto existing shafts.
“The first few feathers were extremely nerve-wracking, but as we got into the groove, the imping became more comfortable, and everything went smoothly,” said Bart Richwalski, a supervisor at the sanctuary.
Great horned owls typically have tufting on the edges of some of their feathers that allows them to fly quietly as they hunt.
But the concrete frayed the rescued owl’s feathers and caused it to make a whooshing sound while flying.
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Veterinary staff perform surgery on the great horned owl at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary’s clinic. Best Friends Animal Society via AP
To prepare for the imping procedure, sanctuary staff examined the owl’s feather patterns every few weeks and snipped damaged shafts in advance.
The owl was anesthetized and the donor feathers from a similarly sized owl that had died were laid out nearby to replicate each wing.
The staff then cut the feathers to the necessary length, lined them up and adhered them to the bird.
By the end of the 90-minute procedure, the owl had 10 new primary feathers and a secondary feather on his right wing. But then came the real test: could he fly silently?
The great horned owl flies to freedom after surgery at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary. Best Friends Animal Society via AP
The bird was placed in a large aviary to recover from the anesthesia and quickly took flight after awakening.
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Richwalski used a decibel meter to measure the sound of the owl’s wingbeat and determined its flight was quiet enough for it to safely be released.
The owl hovered for a moment while the aviary roof was retracted, gained speed and then flew out into the wild.
“It feels so, so good. I think my heart finally started beating again. The nervousness was starting to overtake the excitement, but once I saw him fly out that opening in the roof, it just was, it was a sight to see. It was so fun,” said Richwalski, who has cared for the owl since picking him up at the construction site.
Karla Bloem, executive director of the Minnesota-based International Owl Center, said imping has been practiced by falconers “for eons” and is a very effective treatment.
“I’ve never heard of it not lasting, because you use some pretty good stuff when you’re doing imping,” said Bloem, who has studied great horned owls for nearly three decades.
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She added that it would be OK if a couple of the grafted feathers fell out. The bulk of them just need to stay put until the owl can grow new ones in the coming summer months.
“And now it just needs to figure out, ‘whoa, I’m back in the big world again, hunting,’” she said. “Find a territory … you know, find one of the opposite sex and settle down and have kids.”
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Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All Washington Lottery retailers can redeem prizes up to $600. For prizes over $600, winners have the option to submit their claim by mail or in person at one of Washington Lottery’s regional offices.
To claim by mail, complete a winner claim form and the information on the back of the ticket, making sure you have signed it, and mail it to:
Washington Lottery Headquarters
PO Box 43050
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Olympia, WA 98504-3050
For in-person claims, visit a Washington Lottery regional office and bring a winning ticket, photo ID, Social Security card and a voided check (optional).
Olympia Headquarters
Everett Regional Office
Federal Way Office
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Spokane Department of Imagination
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Tri-Cities Regional Office
For additional instructions or to download the claim form, visit the Washington Lottery prize claim page.
When are the Washington Lottery drawings held?
Powerball: 7:59 p.m. PT Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 8 p.m. PT Tuesday and Friday.
Cash Pop: 8 p.m. PT daily.
Pick 3: 8 p.m. PT daily.
Match 4: 8 p.m. PT daily.
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Lotto: 8 p.m. PT Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
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CHEYENNE, Wyo. — A Colorado man is dead after a crash near Cheyenne, on South Greeley Highway/U.S. Highway 85 by milepost 2.5.
A preliminary report by the Wyoming Highway Patrol says that 48-year-old Shaun Hafley was driving a Ford truck north on U.S. 85 while a Kia Soul was traveling south.
The two vehicles collided in a glancing head-on manner. After the collision, the Kia left the road to the right, entering the right-side borrow ditch and coming to an uncontrolled rest facing northwest. The Ford came to an uncontrolled rest in the southbound lane, facing northwest.
There were no possible contributing factors listed in the report, though it was noted that while weather conditions were clear, road conditions featured ice/frost and slush.
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Hafley was not using a seat belt, the report states.
The driver of the other vehicle was injured in the crash. The status of their injuries was not reported.
This story contains preliminary information as provided by the Wyoming Highway Patrol via the Wyoming Department of Transportation Fatal Crash Summary map. The agency advises that information may be subject to change.
