MALIBU—The Malibu City Council unanimously approved a local emergency declaration on August 10 that allows the city to clear homeless encampments in areas with very high fire hazards. California state law requires a longer notification period before the city can clear encampments. The declaration lets the city of Malibu clear them within a single day of notice.

City Council approved the declaration on Monday, and the city publicly announced it Thursday, August 13. It will stay in effect for the remainder of the hazardous fire season until Malibu receives at least two inches of rain.

Live fuel moisture must reach at least 80 percent, and there can be no Fire Weather Watches or Red Flag Warnings in the forecast before the declaration is lifted. As of the city’s most recent measurement, live fuel moisture in the Santa Monica Mountains is at 63 percent, below the city’s 65 percent hazardous threshold.

“Declaring a local emergency provides an important proactive measure to reduce wildfire risk and protects lives and homes in Malibu as fire conditions worsen as we move towards the peak fire season,” said Mayor Bruce Silverstein. “This emergency declaration enables the City to act swiftly in reducing wildfire risks while continuing our balanced approach that protects both public safety and vulnerable community members.”

For chamise, one of the most common brush species in the Malibu region, 60 percent is considered the critical live fuel moisture level. Below that point, the plant can no longer hold enough internal moisture to resist ignition, making it burn more like dry, dead fuel. That means fires can ignite more easily and spread faster once brush drops to those levels.

This is not the first time Malibu has declared a state of emergency over encampment fire risk. The city made similar declarations in 2021 and 2022, and both were lifted in winter once the region received substantial rainfall.

The declaration will remain in effect for the duration of the hazardous fire season until: the city of Malibu received at least two inches of rain; LFM is at least 80 percent; and there have been no Fire Weather Watches or Red Flag Warnings in the previous two weeks and there are none in the extended forecast for Malibu. For more information, see the staff report.