Fire Evacuation Seminar Kicks Off With Obvious Question: ‘I’m Not Leaving. What Then?’
Written by 991KBU on September 24, 2020
Malibu officials say they are sticking with the plan to evacuate everyone when another fire arrives … and are repeating:
Anyone who stays behind is on their own … and should be prepared with three weeks worth of food … water … medicine and gas.
The comments came at last night’s public seminar on evacuation warnings and zones.
More on that in a second.
The Woolsey Fire of two years ago was fought by citizens with shovels and garden hoses … most of the houses that were saved were saved by untrained volunteers without proper fire gear.
Heroes … or stubborn idiots … probably both … depending on your view.
Last night …. the city held a public seminar on the new mass evacuation plans.
And of course … the first question was … I’m not evacuating … what does the city think I should do???
The answer … from city officials … came after a long pause.
NEWSCART 73014 DUENAS VANDER NOT LEAVE
SUSAN DUENAS: “ … [LONG PAUSE] Have three weeks of supplies.
JERRY VANDERMUELEN: “Yeah.
“I mean be prepared… [PAUSE]
“That’s a difficult thing for us to address … because both the city and the fire department endorse and promote the “ready set go” program and we can’t ever guarantee anybody’s safety.
“But … think the best we can do is that hope that everybody prepares their house with defensible space, heart and your home against embers, And then buttons it up and leaves.
“That is an individual decision that you is making and definitely prepare for your own safety.
“Have your home prepared and year … be prepared … have enough food and water … any necessary medications … anything that you need.”
That was emergency services coordinator Susan Duenas and fire safety coordinator Jerry Vandermuelen.
Recent big fires in Northern California … and the Los Angeles mountains have exposed the drastic shortage of firefighters and equipment across the state.
Last night … the city held a seminar on how the new evacuation plan works.
The new plan was drawn up after the bogged-down fiasco of the Woolsey Fire infuriated people.
Duenas says it is really good idea to pay attention to the news … as upcoming dangerous wind events are always well publicized.
Last minute emergency messages may not go out.
NEWSCART 73015 DUENAS WX PASSES
“As we all know … you might not get the messages because we might lose power or you might not have cell service.
“So it’s really important that keeping your situational awareness really good.
“And I personally would advise anybody who’s going to have difficulty evacuating … because they don’t drive or they have large animals and they need someone to come help them with trailers … that as soon as we get into super-critical fire weather events … don’t wait for a warning or an order.
“Personally if it were me, I would just have them come over,/
“I live on the other side of the hill … I would have been just come stay with me for a few days until the weather passes.”
Malibu’s land has been divided into four quarters … numbered 11 thru 14 … for evacuation purposes.
Zone 11 is the easternmost part of the city … generally east of McDonald’s restaurant.
Zone 12 is the Civic Center … Pepperdine … out to Malibu Seafood.
Zone 13 is Latigo Beach and Paradise Cove … Point Dume … and Malibu Park … out to Trancas Creek.
And Zone 14 is from Trancas west to the county line.
And yes. some neighborhoods are affected by two zones, like Malibu West.
Maps are posted here: https://www.malibucity.org/1029/Evacuations#:~:text=EVACUATION%20ZONES&text=The%20Zones%20follow%20Malibu’s%20historic,professionals%20assisting%20with%20a%20disaster.
