Today’s Pali Fire Status:

52 percent contained as of last night.

No new fire growth.

23,713 acres unchanged for 5 days.

5,677 fire personnel assigned.

Although western Malibu and the Pacific Palisades fire zone remains evacuated … some 12,501 structures haver been repopulated in the local area.

That’s 32,000 residents allowed back in, including the Palisades Highlands … where residents allowed back into their  houses Sunday.

Search and rescue … body recovery … continues.

MRCA Left Gates Open In Predicted Hurricane Fire Weather, And 11 Days After Firestorm, MRCA Closes Malibu Trails & Beaches

Nearly two weeks after the Palisades Fire destroyed thousands of houses and 24 thousand acres of parkland … the MRCA has just closed its trails and beach access points in Malibu.

City officials were left dumbfounded that it took Joe Edmiston that long.

The ignition source for the deadly Palisades Fire conflagration is not known, but the point of ignition was on California State Parks land accessible from MRCA facilities in Pacific Palisades.

In his closure order, Edmiston admits that “fire tourists” are using MRCA trailheads to access Palisades Fire areas, to gawk at the wreckage.

Malibu officials reportedly went over MRCA executive director Joe Edmiston’s head … to get Sacramento officials to pressure Edmisotn to close access temporarily …. due to the drought -parched brush.

And there is some quiet questions being raised about why trail gates were left open on MRCA land, when forecast winds of hurricane strength, and catastrophic fire weather warnings, had been out for a week before the Palisades Fire broke out.

California State Parks and the US Forest Service acted immediately after the fire to close their parkland to puboci entry.

On Saturday … 11 days after the Palisades Fire broke out … Edmiston signed an order to restrict access  to trails in and adjacent to the City of Malibu.  In his order … Edmsiton said heavy public use of the trails and beaches was occurring during the state of emergency, including fire sightseeing.

And that public use, Edmiston proclaimed, poses a threat of renewed of fire activity and other public safety dangers.

Edmiston reports to a four member board of directors made up of parks agency officials from Simi Valley … Thousand Oaks and the 101 freeway corridor.  The city of Malibu has no vote on his board … even though the MRCA operates parks and beaches with direct threat to Malibu.

Edmistyon says the closure will last during the state of emergency declared by the governor … which at this time appears to be open ended.

But the MRCA director is reserving for himself the unilateral power to determine that conditions may permit an earlier opening of some specific areas.

 

Malibu Gets Its Fifth PDS Red Flags This Season

Particularly Dangerous Situation Red Flag Warnings are back.

That’s the most-urgent wind warning that the National Weather Service has in its vocabulary.  Most years go by without and “PDS Red Flags.”  This year we have had five… unprecedented.

PDS Red Flags up at noon today … and stay up until 10am tomorrow. 

Maximum gusts across many wind prone coasts and valleys will range between 50 and 70 mph.

The Malibu forecast is for 60 mph mountain winds .. at times and in places …. in most of the area. 

Two factors:  (1) we are expecting offshore pressure gradients to increase through the day Monday, then increase sharply Monday night, likely peaking in the 8 to 10 millibar range by early Tuesday morning.

(2)  The jet stream will be blowing from the northeast, at 55 mph or greater, not far above the surface.  

Rich Thompson … the NWS forecaster assigned to Zuma Beach Command Post … ….  says this windstorm will not only be strong … it will be dry. 

DRY SNA RICH THOMPSON 

[SOUND BITE NOT AVAIL]

Offshore winds will likely peak in many areas late Monday afternoon into Monday night when there is the strongest upper level wind support.

But the strong offshore winds will likely continue in many areas into Tuesday morning due to the strong offshore pressure gradients and cold air advection peaking. 

As usual, the forecast notes that not all areas along the Coast will see winds like that.   Santa Anas are notoriously spotty and capricious.

While the offshore winds will likely diminish some by Tuesday afternoon, the dry air flow will continue. 

There will likely ontinue to be a long duration of critical Red Flag fire weather conditions across much of LA/Ventura counties potentially persisting into Thursday.

In fact, this will likely be the driest air mass we have seen with all offshore wind events this season, with many areas seeing humidities fall to between 2 and 5 percent Tuesday through Thursday.

BUT … rain may be coming in 6 days.

There is a 60 to 70 percent chance of rain sometime during the weekend.  And about 40 percent of the computer runs show over a half an inch for most coastal areas and the valleys.

SCE Warns Of Potential Power Switchoffs Tonight Into Thursday

SCE warns it may cut off power once again in Malibu. 

Intentional outages may be inflicted on us as early as now … and extending through Tuesday and Wednesday.

Even though winds may be calm in some areas … particularly on Point Dume … the transmission lines that carry power to Malibu are built along the top of the mountain ridges north of the city.

And this mountain tops are predicted to see winds gusts of above 80 miles per hour late today … into tomorrow.

249 thousand customer accounts in California are in intentional blackout warning areas.

That’s five percent of the SCE customer base.

2 Weeks After Fire, No One Allowed Into Burned Houses, And Cleanup Will Take 9-12 Months

Malibu lost 122 hours to the Palisades Fire … and Malibu-adjacent Sunset Mesa lost about 190 homes.

Heere in the city .. about 100 homes in the fire zone made it through the fire.

Those houses are still under mandatory evacuation orders. 

The roadblock on PCH remains at Colony Liquors crosswalk … between McDonalds and the Carbon Canyon traffic light. 

47 houses along PCH in the fire zone made it through with minor damage or no damage at all.

Those residents are still … for the most part … unable to get east to their property. 

Same story for about 55 homes up Las Flores Canyon and Rambla Pacifico.

Those are in the mandatory eviction zone this morning.

LA County Supervisor Lindsay Horvath hears those people …. She says.

They want to go home. 

HOMEWARD HORVATH

“There are many people who are eager to get back home and we understand that.  We are working quickly to get you back into your neighborhoods.  

“If you can wait, we encourage you to do so,  because of the public health risks that do exist.  .

But those people who got burned out – or damaged?? They not only need to see their property … they need to get experts into the wreckage to make critical decisions.

Can a foundation be saved?  

Should a lot be scraped bare by the state?

Or should they hire a private contractor?

Lindsey Horvath says the government will remove the burned out debris on the surface … the burned wreckage.

But the second phase…. Things like foundations and septics tanks … are a different matter.

BIG DECISION HORVATH

“Public health advises that stage one debris removal will be conducted in coordination between city, state and federal governments.

“Phase two, in order for you to have that phase completed at your home location, you will need to fill out an application form to apply for that service.

“Or, you can apply to have a private service on your own, and that service will have to conform with all directives. “

No matter who clears your lot … it will take econstruction to begin.

The county public works directors … Mark Pestrella. 

LOT CLEAR PESTRELLA

“You will not have a cleared lot for some time, and what I mean by ‘some time’ is potentially anywhere from six months to a year, for every lot of LA County in the burned area to have the debris removed.

“That’s because we will have people who opt in and who opt out.

“If you opt out of this program, you will be required to have a certified contractor who can do all the testing that will be necessary to ensure that the lot can repopulated to ensure that there will be no toxins on the lot.”

And it is possible that Pacific Coast Highway will be closed while removal of hazardous material – chemicals that can injure people – is carefully removed.

There are 52 destroyed houses and businesses along Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu … every one of them with hazmat material on the land.

We are speculating here … we do not know if the highway will be closed during hazmat removal.   But during the Woolsey Fire hazmat removal project .. the public was not allowed anywhere near that work.

Convicted Arsonist Arrested In Malibu With Fake Fire Truck, Phony ‘News Media’ Arrests Made

A convicted arsonist from Oregon and his wife were arrested for impersonating firefighters … as they tried to drive thru a Malibu-area checkpoint.

On Saturday … a sketchy fire truck was spotted by a firefighter at a checkpoint.

There was something off about the decals on the truck, which had markings from the “Roaring River Fire Department,” in orergon.

The firefighter told Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies to check the man’s ID.

According to the law enforcement official, the man presented an Oregon driver’s license with the name of Dustin Nehl. 

A search of Nehl’s criminal history revealed he had served five years in prison for arson, the official said.

Nehl pleaded guilty to setting a series of fires at a golf course, a park and a water facility suburban of Portland. 

Eight years ago … Nehl, 31, and his 44-year-old wife Jennifer Nehl were arrested on suspicion of impersonating firefighters and unauthorized entry of an evacuation zone, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department officials said Sunday. 

Also … two people were arrested after authorities said they used forged press passes to illegally enter the Palisades Fire evacuation zone.

“These individuals had been coming and going from the closures while using what appeared to be Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department press passes, and their behavior raised suspicion,” the release said.

After confirming with the Sheriff’s Department that the press passes were fake, CHP officers arrested the people attempting to use them.

And last week LAPD officers working in Malibu caught a burglary suspect in the Palisades fire zone who was dressed as a firefighter.

Ivan Cedric Reed, 34, was wearing a yellow firefighter’s uniform and carrying a radio when police found him on Clifftop Way in Malibu on Tuesday evening, prosecutors said.

Reed was charged with receiving stolen property, impersonating a firefighter, unlawful use of a badge and unauthorized entry of a closed disaster area.

There are 43 checkpoints being staffed by deputies and National Guard troops right now .

City Staff Running City Hall

Malibu’s official city government proceedings have ground to a halt … as no meetings of the city council are scheduled for the next week. 

The Planning Commission meeting scheduled for this week .. postponed into February. 

City manager Steve McClary remains on personnel leave. 

His assistant and deputy city managers … Alexis Brown and Joseph Toney … are handling administrative matters at the city hall.

Trump To Make First State Visit, to Los Angeles

President-elect Donald Trump said on Sunday that he will visit southern California on Friday to see the area ravaged by historic wildfires, in what will likely mark his first trip upon returning to the White House.

“I’m going to go out there on Friday to see it and to get it moving back,” Trump said. “We’re going to get some of the best builders in the world. We’ll get it moving back.”

According to Politico … Tensions have been high between the incoming president and Calif Gov Gavin Newsom.

Trump said in an interview on Saturday that he’s yet to speak to Newsom about the fires. And Newsom, for his part, has been working to combat misinformation on social media about the wildfires and the state’s response, amplified by Trump, Elon Musk and other adversaries.

PPE Suits Being Distributed For Free By LA County

County supervisor Lindsay Horvath warned people to pick up protective gear suits before entering fire areas to work.

The county is handing out personal prpttcive equipment  at the disaster relief center … at the corner of Westwood at Pico in Los Angeles. 

Do Not Drink Tapwater In Eastern Malibu

The mandatory DO NOT DRINK ORDER for water coming out of the faucets in the eastern portion of the City of Malibu continues. 

That area includes all of Malibu east of Carbon Canyon … plus the burned out area near Saddle Peak

Fire-related contaminants may have entered the water system. 

Affected customers are urged not to drink or cook with the tap water until further notice.

Again … that is only for Malibu east of Carbon Canyon. 

Tests reportedly show that the tap water worst of Carbon Canyon is free of contaminants. 

Malibu Town Hall Tuesday Night at 6

A Town Hall Meeting for Malibu residents is scheduled for Tuesday, January 21, at 6:00 PM at Malibu

High School. 

The meeting will provide updates, answer questions, and share information about

ongoing recovery efforts.

A senior citizens resource center will be set up in Agoura  Hills tomorrow. 

The idea is to offer technology assistance for seniors recovering from the Palisades Fire. 

Malibu Seniort Center staff will be there for that. 

A County Department of Mental Health personnel will offer counseling and

mental health services.

This is from 9 to 4 tomorrow at the Agoura Hills City Hall … at the corner of Agoura Road and Ladyface Court. 

Disaster Relief Center Open On MLK Day

The big LA County Disaster Resource Center iwill be open today … despite the federal holiday.

It will be open from 9 to 8 at the Westside Pavilion shopping center … now called the UCLA Research Center.

It’s on Pico at Westwood in West LA.