Fire crews put out a brushfire in Topanga Canyon around 4:35 a.m., the fire started around 12 a.m., according to the City of Malibu utility advisory.
SCE has shut off power to parts of Nicholas circuit in eastern Malibu (Las Flores Canyon). East Malibu, be prepared for potential fire and evacuations.
Monitor local AM/FM news using handcrank, solar powered, battery or car radios, which will operate when power is out. Under CA law, come to a complete stop at any malfunctioning traffic signal.
Check on elderly or disabled neighbors. Seniors, people who rely on wheelchairs, medical devices, or are otherwise not mobile, and owners of horses and large animals should consider leaving the area early. Ensure that you know how to open your garage door or electric gate when the power is out.
For updates subscribe to the City of Malibu’s alert center. Alert Center allows you to view all alerts and emergencies in your area. If there are alerts or emergencies, they will be listed below by category. To be instantly notified of alerts and emergencies subscribe to Notify Me or RSS.
UPDATED ARTICLE BELOW:
Fire crews put out a 3.6-acre brush fire in Topanga
Fire Department says last Thursday’s blaze is still under investigation
Last week, the National Weather Service (NWS) issued a Red Flag Warning from Wednesday, Nov. 8, through Thurs, Nov. 9, and on Thursday morning, fire crews responded to a 3.6-acre brushfire on Topanga Canyon.
The City of Malibu released a utility advisory stating the brush fire started around 12 a.m. Wednesday, and was put out on Thursday, Nov. 9, around 4:35 a.m.
“If fire ignition occurs there could be rapid spread of wildfire that would lead to a threat to life and property,” the advisory says. “Be prepared for potential power outages, fire, evacuations, hazardous road conditions due to branches in the road and malfunctioning traffic signals.”
Los Angeles County Fire Department District 7 Community Service Liaison Megan Currier provided a report on the brush fire and said the fire is still under investigation.
“Crews remained on scene overnight to make sure there were no flare-ups,” Currier said. “The fire department investigators arrived this morning (Thursday, Nov. 9) and they’re going to determine what the cause was.”
Currier said an occupied two-story building structure was damaged in the fire.
East Malibu residents were encouraged to be prepared for potential fire and evacuations. Parts of eastern Malibu (Las Flores Canyon) were without power for a few hours while the brush fire was under control.
Southern California Edison temporarily shuts power off during dangerous weather conditions to prevent our electric system from becoming a source of ignition.
The city is coordinating on preparedness with the LA County Fire and Sheriff’s departments, Caltrans and LA County Public Works. The Public Safety Team coordinates with the Sheriff’s Host Team and Malibu Homeless Outreach Team to engage with people experiencing homelessness in Malibu about fire prevention and being prepared for potential evacuations. The Public Works Team monitors and patrols road hazards, debris, and downed power lines.
The city and Malibu CERT Team volunteers encourage residents to be prepared by using radio repeaters and handheld radios and setting up the Emergency Information Station to communicate and share information with the community in case of widespread power outage.
The city and KBUU 99.1 FM coordinate to post emergency information in the local radio broadcast.
According to the city website, as of Nov. 7, Live Fuel Moisture (LFM) is at 108 percent, down from 109 percent. This means that much of the lighter fuels are still retaining their moisture due to late summer rains. Last year at this time, Malibu was below the critical threshold of 60 percent. The LFM is the percentage of water content to dry matter in live vegetation and indicates how likely a fire is to grow large and spread quickly.
Historically, throughout 40 years of data collection, LFM has been around 63 percent at this time of year. However, with the Red Flag event last week and current Santa Ana winds and low humidity, light fuels are drying out. The fire hazard rating is currently “Moderate.” That means the lighter fuels that are not part of the green up will be susceptible to ignition and spread under certain conditions. Although LFM is above the historic average in the Santa Monica Mountains for this time of year, the vegetation is still in a vulnerable state and the community is urged to be diligent with home hardening and brush clearance efforts. The City of Malibu also provides free Home Wildfire Assessments.
The LA County Fire Department takes plant samples every two weeks and posts the results on their website (fire.lacounty.gov/fire-weather-danger/).
For local fire weather information, visit the National Weather Service Los Angeles/Oxnard website at weather.gov.
For updates subscribe to the City of Malibu’s Alert Center, which allows you to view all alerts and emergencies in your area. If there are alerts or emergencies, they will be listed below by category. To be instantly notified of alerts and emergencies subscribe to Notify Me or RSS.