The wildfire alert came in the middle of the night as some college students in Southern California were cramming for final exams and others were woken up in their dorms.

But rather than run away from the impending blaze, some 3,000 students at Pepperdine University headed toward two buildings at the heart of the 830-acre (336-hectare) campus in coastal Malibu, California, to shelter in place.

The protocol at the Christian university with picturesque views of the Pacific Ocean may seem to defy logic to those accustomed to scenes elsewhere in wildfire-prone California of thousands of residents evacuating fire zones in lengthy caravans of cars.

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Firefighters in Southern California are continuing to battle the Franklin Fire in Malibu, which has scorched more than 3,000 acres since igniting late on Monday.

Although the powerful Santa Ana winds that fuelled the fire have begun to subside, forecasters warn that wildfire risks remain high through Wednesday due to low humidity.

Mike Wofford, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard, told the New York Times that wind speeds, which peaked at 50mph on Tuesday, are expected to drop below 20mph by midday Wednesday. However, the dry conditions could still allow new fires to spark.

By Thursday, an increase in humidity and ocean breezes are expected to reduce the risk, with forecasters predicting light rain by the end of the week, offering some relief to the fire-stricken region.

The Democratic leader said the brush fire proved that fire season is not a season in the state.

“It’s year-round in the state of California ... We’re in the middle of December and yet we’re experiencing yet another wildfire in southern California,” he said.

This year, more than 7,900 fires have burned over a million acres across California.

Mark Hamill, the 73-year-old “Star Wars” actor, shared on social media that he was in lockdown as the Franklin Fire continued to rage through Malibu Canyon.

“I’m not allowed to leave the house, which fits in perfectly with my elderly-recluse lifestyle,” Hamill joked.

The Franklin Fire, which ignited Monday night, has burned over 3,000 acres and remains 0 per cent contained as of Tuesday night, prompting evacuations and shelter-in-place orders across the region.

The worst of the winds may have passed but forecasters believe the risk of fires spreading further remains high on Wednesday.

“Another day of fire weather concerns in store for southern California tomorrow,” the National Weather Service said in a Tuesday update.

Abigail Ballhagen and Bethany Kronlund, juniors and co-resident assistants, described the experience as terrifying. They helped evacuate students from dorms to the school’s library while flames advanced nearby. “Ash was everywhere, embers were everywhere,” Ms Kronlund told AP.

Ms Ballhagen added: “It felt super apocalyptic.”

University spokesperson Michael Friel confirmed that while parts of the campus were “singed,” there was no major damage. Classes and final exams were cancelled on Tuesday as the fire pushed past the school, sparing it from more severe impacts.

The wildfire, driven by Santa Ana winds, has scorched over 3,000 acres and continues to pose a threat to nearby areas.