The Woolsey Fire State of Local Emergency has officially been lifted for Malibu on Monday night, 164 days after the fire burned to the ocean.
The termination of the state of emergency was ratified by the city council at its Monday, April 22, council meeting. The city’s emergency began during the Woolsey Fire, which entered Malibu in the morning on Friday, Nov. 9.
“On Nov. 9, 2018, the Director of Emergency Services (City Manager) proclaimed the existence of a local emergency, which was in effect and carried the force of law until Nov. 16, 2018, on which date it expired,” a staff report from the meeting described. “At the time of expiration, the city was under a citywide evacuation order issued by CalFire. CalFire was the agency in command over the Woolsey Fire incident response. On Nov. 16, 2018, the city was still under evacuation orders from CalFire and the fire had not been fully contained. Council members had been evacuated to different areas. No location within Malibu was open to the public. On Nov. 16, 2018, the director of emergency services proclaimed the existence of a local emergency, which was ratified by the Council on Nov. 20, 2018.”
In all, 479 Malibu properties were destroyed in the fire, displacing many hundreds of residents. That was followed by heavy rain throughout the winter months, which prolonged hazards in burn areas.
“After the fires were put out, the city confronted the significant environmental hazards left behind, which was further complicated by a series of rain events causing mudslides and flooding in the burn areas,” the report described, adding, “The situation has now stabilized and there are no longer conditions of extreme peril.”