Fire Safety

City of Malibu’s Multi-Agency Virtual Wildfire Evacuation

Community members were invited to observe the multi-agency virtual wildfire evacuation exercise organized by the City of Malibu in partnership with the Los Angeles County Fire, Sheriff’s and Animal Care and Control Departments, and California Highway Patrol on Wednesday, October 20 at 6:00 PM. Watch the recording. View the presentation.

The exercise is part of Malibu’s efforts toward community-wide wildfire preparedness. Residents, businesses, employees, students, schools, and organizations are encouraged to observe the exercise, which is based on a scenario of a major wildfire burning through eastern Malibu. The exercise is an excellent opportunity to learn about the decision processes, timeline, and roles of the responding agencies during a large-scale evacuation. 

To learn more about evacuations in Malibu and to review the City’s Evacuation Plan, evacuation zones, maps, and terminology, visit the webpage at www.MalibuCity.org/Evac. 

What the City is Doing to Prepare

As Southern California heads into peak fire season, the City is working to prepare and help community members be prepared to prevent wildfires and be ready to respond to the next big wildfire that may come. The City Manager and Public Safety Manager meet weekly with the Fire Department and Sheriff's Department to discuss current and forecasted fire conditions, community concerns, and deployment levels in response to wildfire threat factors, such as hot, dry, windy weather, fuel moisture levels, and Santa Ana winds. 

The Fire Safety Liaison also monitors current fire conditions in Malibu, including weather and fuel moisture levels, and reports them weekly to the City Manager and Public Safety Manager. 

The City's Fire Safety Liaison is available to visit your home to assess the property's wildfire risk, and provide a checklist of ways that you can harden your homes against flying embers, which are a main cause of homes catching fire during a wildfire. To schedule an appointment, email FireSafety@malibucity.org

What You Can Do to Be Prepared

Residents should review their family emergency and evacuation plans, and check their "go bags" and emergency supplies to ensure that food, water, medication, and batteries have not expired. If you do not have an emergency plan or supply kits, learn how to get started by downloading the City's free Emergency Survival Guide.

The Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains provides a valuable resource for wildfire preparedness. Visit DefensibleSpace.org for detailed tips on what you can do to protect your home and surrounding areas from fire damage through fire-safe building and landscaping.

HOME IGNITION ZONE ASSESSMENTS - learn how to harden your home

During a wildfire, millions of flying, burning embers can rain down on your home and property like hail during a storm. If these embers land in receptive fuels or become lodged in something easily ignited on or near your house, the home may be in jeopardy of burning. Flying embers are a major cause of homes burning down during wind-driven wildfires. This area is commonly referred to as the Home Ignition Zone. 

Visit the online scheduling system to set an appointment for your home assessment.

Watch a video on how your home could survive a wildfire from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). In the video, Dr. Jack Cohen, Fire Science Researcher with the USDA Forest Service, explains current research about how homes ignite during wildfires, and the actions that homeowners can take to help their home survive the impacts of flames and embers.