Malibu declares local emergency as fire danger intensifies

By The Malibu Times · Fri Aug 14 2026

Live Fuel Moisture drops to 63 percent, triggering emergency measures aimed at reducing wildfire risks across the city

The Malibu City Council unanimously approved a declaration of local emergency on Monday, Aug. 10, after Live Fuel Moisture levels in the Santa Monica Mountains dropped below the city’s 65 percent threshold for hazardous fire conditions.

The declaration comes as Malibu moves deeper into peak fire season and allows the city to take expedited action to remove homeless encampments in areas considered at particularly high risk for wildfire. The entirety of Malibu is located within a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone.

“Declaring a local emergency provides an important proactive measure to reduce wildfire risk and protects lives and homes in Malibu as fire conditions worsen as we move towards the peak fire season,” Mayor Bruce Silverstein said. “This emergency declaration enables the City to act swiftly in reducing wildfire risks while continuing our balanced approach that protects both public safety and vulnerable community members.”

Live Fuel Moisture, or LFM, measures the percentage of water contained in living vegetation and is considered an important indicator of wildfire potential. The Los Angeles County Fire Department collects fuel samples every two weeks to monitor conditions throughout the region.

The latest measurement came in at 63 percent, down from 67 percent during the previous sampling period.

The city has established 65 percent as the threshold for declaring a local emergency. At approximately 60 percent moisture, vegetation can burn similarly to dead fuels, allowing fires to ignite more readily, spread rapidly and threaten lives, homes and the surrounding environment.

The emergency declaration gives Malibu greater authority to expedite the removal of homeless encampments within Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones. Under normal conditions, state law requires a more extensive notification process before an encampment can be cleared. During the declared emergency, removals can be completed within a day.

City officials said the expedited process is part of Malibu’s broader strategy of combining wildfire prevention and enforcement with outreach and services for unhoused individuals.

Malibu’s 2026 Homeless Count identified 27 unhoused individuals and 16 dwellings, including tents, vehicles, RVs, vans and makeshift shelters. It is the lowest number recorded since the city began tracking its unhoused population in 2016.

The count represents a substantial decline from 46 individuals in 2025, 69 in 2024, 71 in 2023, 81 in 2022 and 157 in 2021.

The city contracts with The People Concern to operate its Homeless Outreach Team, which works to connect unhoused individuals with permanent housing, interim placements and family reunification services.

Malibu also conducts encampment removals throughout the year when locations present wildfire, public safety, public health or environmental concerns. Working with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the city cleared 44 encampments in 2025 and another 44 in 2024, compared with 29 in 2023.

The declaration underscores growing concern about increasingly dry vegetation in the Santa Monica Mountains as Malibu approaches the period historically associated with some of its most dangerous wildfire conditions.

The emergency declaration will remain in effect through the hazardous fire season. Under the city’s criteria, it can be lifted once Malibu has received at least two inches of rain, Live Fuel Moisture has climbed to at least 80 percent, and there have been no Fire Weather Watches or Red Flag Warnings during the preceding two weeks or in the extended forecast.

City officials are urging residents and businesses to use the worsening conditions as a reminder to prepare before an emergency occurs. Residents should review evacuation routes and family reunification plans, assemble emergency supplies and important documents, prepare medications and supplies for pets, and make sure they are registered to receive emergency alerts.

Officials are also reminding residents to prepare for Southern California Edison Public Safety Power Shutoffs and other power outages that may accompany severe fire weather. Battery-powered or vehicle radios can provide access to emergency information if electricity and internet service are interrupted.

With vegetation now below Malibu’s emergency threshold, officials are asking residents to closely monitor changing weather and fire conditions and remain prepared to evacuate if necessary.

Additional wildfire preparedness information and emergency resources are available through the City of Malibu’s Fire Safety program.