As the Franklin Fire in Malibu has pushed away from homes, it has entered steep terrain — making the 4,037-acre fire difficult for crews to access. But firefighters have managed to make progress, with containment climbing up to 20% Thursday.

Some evacuations are expected to soon be lifted, authorities said during a noon news conference Thursday. Before then, containment of the fire had remained at 7% for more than a day.

Meanwhile, acreage of the blaze has remained roughly the same for nearly 24 hours, according to reports from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, with it estimated at 4,031 acres just before 3 p.m. Wednesday.

More than 2,000 firefighters have battled the flames and have now turned their focus toward structure defense. Since the fire exploded Monday night, 12 structures have been destroyed including six homes and six outbuildings, according to city officials.

Another 11 structures were damaged, 10 single-family homes and 1 outbuilding.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department said 25% of the impacted area has been surveyed. Smoke advisories have been issued for surrounding areas. People are advised to limit or avoid outdoor activities.

Some residents have returned to their homes, but several areas remained closed and only accessible by emergency crews.

“I grabbed a few things threw them in a van and took off and that was it,” said Shawn Smith, a Malibu resident impacted by the fire. “I’m just now returning to see how lucky we got.”

Fire and local officials quickly responded to the fire, issuing evacuation orders.

Red flag warnings have expired, and winds have calmed down providing better weather conditions. Crews battling the fire on the ground have received assistance from water-dropping aircrafts.

The fire was first reported Monday just after 10:50 p.m. Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony Morrone said the fire began a as 5-acre blaze on Malibu Canyon Road but quickly grew after gusty winds spread embers through the vegetation.

Early Tuesday morning flames had spread south across Pacific Coast Highway to Malibu Road, near Webb Way. By Wednesday the direction of the fire has shifted from burning east and north to moving west.

“Containment lines were improved with fire retardant drops and construction of new hand lines to connect the gaps along the rugged eastern edge of the fire,” Marrone said.

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday that the state secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant from FEMA to ensure resources are available to help fight the blaze.

Thousands of residents in Malibu remain under evacuation orders.

Evacuation orders: South of Piuma Road, north of the Pacific Ocean coastline, east of Puerco Canyon Road/Corral Canyon Park, west of Los Flores Canyon Road, Between the Pacific Ocean coastline and Tuna Canyon Park to the west of Tuna Canyon Road

Evacuation warnings: East of Trancas Canyon Road and Kanan Dune Road, west of Topanga Canyon Blvd/Surfview Drive, south of Mulholland Highway, north of the Evacuation Order boundary. Includes Topanga Zone 8 and 10

Matt Myerhoff, a spokesperson for the city of Malibu, said using lessons learned from the 2018 Woolsey Fire, first responders are communicating by way of LA-RICS radios that the city purchased, as power outages affect cell phone service and all other forms of communication.

A resident named Linda said her boss’ house was destroyed while she was trying to evacuate horses.

“It’s happening so quickly,” she said. “I’m worried about two horses that I left in there. I know the house is gone. I went back in there to find the two horses but it was too dangerous.”