By Haylynn Conrad, Columnist
Fires that devastate Malibu rarely begin within our city limits, although sometimes they do. Either way, by the time the flames reach us, the Santa Ana winds have already given them speed and strength. Protecting Malibu means looking outward as well as inward.
That’s why installing “eyes” outside Malibu is just as important as protecting our own hills. High-definition cameras like those provided through Dr. Neal Driscoll and UC San Diego’s ALERTCalifornia program, which powers live feeds in the Watch Duty app, can spot smoke in minutes, giving firefighters a head start. More cameras in neighboring areas mean earlier alerts and a greater chance of stopping fires before they roar down the canyons toward the coast.
When residents open the Watch Duty app, they aren’t just looking at a still picture. They see a network of high-definition, pan-tilt-zoom cameras streaming live video from ridgelines, towers, and mountaintops across California. On the same screen, they can also see incident reports written by vetted volunteers, location of smoke or fire, size, direction of spread, wind, evacuation notices, and road closures. If someone reports smoke in a canyon, emergency managers can remotely pivot and zoom the camera to that exact spot. The public feed shows a wide panorama, while agencies see even more detail. This lets first responders verify reports, dispatch resources, and issue alerts minutes or even hours faster than before.
This fourth camera at the top of Escondido Canyon may be the easiest of the dozens of projects I’ve taken on since being elected. Because it was almost entirely privately driven. Dr. Driscoll’s extraordinary nonprofit work, as a generous private property owner, didn’t involve the usual layers of government approvals. This program is donation-driven and a non-profit.
Before I was elected to the City Council I was introduced to this initiative by a dear friend, and he brought in the third Malibu camera that’s on watch duty.
It’s why we need multiple tools in our firefighting toolbox. Cameras are one layer, but they work best alongside prevention, evacuation planning, hydrant capacity, brush clearance, and clear communication systems.
As a member of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy advisory board, I’ve already begun working with the Conservancy and MRCA. I also want to coordinate closely with our neighboring cities, Calabasas, Los Angeles County Fire, Agoura Hills, Thousand Oaks, and Moorpark, through our Council of Governments. Together, we can weave a network of detection, communication, and prevention that reflects how fires actually behave.
Malibu may be the last stop on the fire train, but we don’t have to be its next victim. By partnering with scientists like Dr. Driscoll, private property owners, and our regional neighbors, we can protect our community before the first spark ever lands.
Haylynn Conrad serves as a Malibu City Councilmember and is a member of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy Advisory Board. She can be reached at hconrad@malibucity.org.