The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning, with extremely dangerous wildfire conditions, for LA and Ventura Counties, including Malibu, from 4AM Tues, Jan. 7, to 6PM Thurs, Jan. 9, possibly into Fri, due to strong, prolonged Santa Ana winds, low humidity and critically dry fuel.
A life-threatening, destructive, widespread windstorm, is forecast Tues afternoon through Wed morning for parts of LA and eastern Ventura Counties.
Widespread winds up to 50 to 80 mph are forecast. Any fire start could result in rapid fire growth and extreme fire behavior. Southern California Edison (SCE) has all Malibu circuits on their watch list for a Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) in response to the fire conditions.
Dangerous beach and coastal water conditions are expected due to high winds.
Topanga Canyon will be closed Tues through Fri, with access for residents and local businesses only.
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Be prepared for potential fires, evacuations, power & traffic signal outages, hazardous roads. Come to a complete stop at any malfunctioning traffic signal.
Check your emergency plan and supplies, including evacuation routes and reunification locations, and plan for your pets.
People with disabilities, and those who rely on medical or mobility devices, and owners of horses and livestock should consider leaving the area early.
Be extremely cautious with any activities that could start a fire, such as working with landscaping equipment.
Closely monitor weather conditions and emergency information on local news, especially AM / FM radio and 99.1 FM KBUU with handheld and car radios, which will work when the power is out.
In case of a fire or evacuation, visit LA County’s website Genasys Protect https://protect.genasys.com/search for evacuation information and maps.
Make sure you are signed up for emergency alerts from City of Malibu, at www.malibucity.org/alerts, and LA County, at https://ready.lacounty.gov/alerts.
The following *Resident Only Closures* will be in effect during the Red Flag Warning period.
- Topanga Canyon Boulevard / Mulholland Drive (closed southbound)
- Old Topanga Canyon Road / Mulholland Highway (closed southbound)
- Topanga Canyon Boulevard / Pacific Coast Highway (closed northbound)
Be prepared for extreme winds, which may cause the following: downed trees, power outages dangerous sea conditions and knocked over large vehicles.
It is important to prepare, and NOW is the time to act by doing some of the following: Secure loose objects around your property, adjust travel plans to be home, charge necessary electronics, fill up generators, park cars away from trees and stay clear of glass windows when high winds are present.