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,

Even as the weather was expected to improve, forecasters said gusty winds will continue through Wednesday morning, complicating firefighting efforts.

Weather conditions were forecasted to improve this week in Southern California and aid firefighters in their battle against a wildfire that’s forced up to 20,000 people from their homes. The blaze has grown to more than 2,