General Preparedness

It is crucial that every family create a Red Flag Plan so that when a Red Flag Warning is issued, you’re ready to act quickly to keep yourself and your family safe. It’s also important to know the City, residents, and first responders have a shared responsibility for doing our parts to achieve community-wide preparedness and resilience.

The City offers several resources to residents including:

As a community, it’s important to know what zone your home is located in, keep your family up-to-date on your Red Flag Plan, have a go-bag including essential medications and digital back-ups of important documents prepared, and have a plan for receiving news updates during times of cellular service outages, such as by radio at KBUU (99.1 FM) or at KNX (1070 AM or 97.1 FM) and NOAA Weather Alert Radio frequencies.

Local Initiatives

COMPLETE MANDATORY BRUSH CLEARANCE IN ADVANCE OF JUNE 1 DEADLINE

June 1 is the deadline for mandatory brush clearance. If you have not completed mandatory brush clearance by the deadline, it is crucial to do so, and it can be done up through fire season. Proper brush clearance is one of the most important ways to make your home and the community more resistant to wildfires. If you have not yet completed your brush clearance and need help or information, please contact our Fire Safety Liaisons. We are here to help you. Brush clearance helps create the “defensible space” that firefighters need to safely and effectively protect life, property, and the environment. Be sure to complete your brush clearance before the June 1 deadline to avoid fines. For more information including a list of vendors, maps, a video, and more, visit the County website.

FIRE SAFETY LIAISONS CAN ASSIST 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 eight but less than 2,500 dwelling units is eligible to apply for recognition status.

A Firewise USA community-designation is one of the factors that insurance companies must consider for discounts under new Department of Insurance Safer from Wildfires Regulations.

As CAL FIRE-designated Regional Coordinators, the Fire Safety Liaisons can help interested neighborhoods through the entire application process to attain Firewise USA recognition. For additional information or to schedule an informational meeting for your neighborhood, email Fire Safety Liaison Bradley Yocum at BYocum@MalibuCity.org.

HOME WILDFIRE 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.