Fire Safety

MANY MALIBU HOMEOWNERS WILL GET A BRUSH CLEARANCE NOTICE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 2023

BRUSH CLEARANCE DEADLINE - JUNE 1

In 2023, many Malibu residents will be receiving brush clearance notices from the LA County Fire Department for the first time. The Brush Clearance deadline is June 1. Notices are being sent to all properties within the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection designated Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone (VHFHSZ), which includes all of Malibu. Previously, notices were only sent to homes that were deemed most vulnerable via visual inspection or historical fire data. That means that the number of homes receiving notices in Malibu will increase from 4,100 to 5,600. The inspection requirement for all homes within the VHFSZ has been in place for decades, but recent GIS/mapping software upgrades have allowed all structures to be identified, many of them for the first time. For more information, see the Brush Clearance FAQs and the annual Brush Clearance notice. 

What the City is Doing to Prepare FOR WILDFIRE

The City works year-round to prepare and help community members be prepared to prevent wildfires and be ready to respond to the next big wildfire. The City Manager and Public Safety Director meet regularly 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 Liaisons also monitor current fire conditions in Malibu, including weather and fuel moisture levels, and reports them weekly to the City Manager and Public Safety Director. 

The City's Fire Safety Liaisons offer a free Home Wildfire Hardening Assessment. They will 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. See details below. 

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 wildfire hardening ASSESSMENTS - learn how to protect 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.  

FIRE SAFETY LIAISONS CAN ASSISIT INTERESTED NEIGHBORHOODS IN ATTAINING FIREWISE USA RECOGNITION

Firewise USA is a free, voluntary program to encourage and assist neighbors to work together in improving wildfire safety and resilience in their neighborhoods. The program provides a simple framework to follow for organizing, planning, and taking action to attain set goals to reduce wildfire risks at the local level. Any neighborhood, HOA, POA, condominium complex, or mobile home park with more than 8 but less than 2500 dwelling units is eligible to apply for recognition status. 

In addition to several items targeted in the City’s Home Ignition Zone Assessment program, becoming a recognized Firewise USA community is one of the factors that insurance companies must consider for discounts under new Department of Insurance Safer from Wildfires regulations- https://www.insurance.ca.gov/01-consumers/200-wrr/Safer-from-Wildfires.cfm

 As CAL FIRE designated Regional Coordinators, the Fire Safety Liaisons can help interested neighborhoods through the entire application process to attain Firewise USA recognition. More information on the Firewise USA Recognition program can be found at https://www.readyforwildfire.org/prepare-for-wildfire/firewise-communities/

 For additional information or to schedule an informational meeting for your neighborhood, email Fire Safety Liaison Bradley Yocum at BYocum@MalibuCity.org.