Wind screams through Malibu Canyon as the suffocating smell of smoke dominates the air. It’s 11 P.M. on Monday, December 9, and the Franklin Fire has just broken out.
The Santa Monica Mountains continue to experience high fire risk conditions in the aftermath of the Franklin Fire. Another Red Flag event and Public Safety Power Shutoff warning went into effect on Tuesday, December 17, while crews continued to battle the fire.
By the time the Franklin fire was fully contained on December 18, it had burned 4,037 acres, 20 structures were destroyed and another 28 structures were damaged. At a press conference at Zuma Beach in Malibu on Thursday, December 12, Los Angeles County Fire Department Deputy Fire Chief Eleni Pappas attributed the amount of structures saved to, “a valiant effort amongst the firefighters in this first 36 to 48 hours. It was an incredible show of commitment that contained the fire to the footprint you see today.”
Malibu Lost Hills Sheriff Station Captain Jennifer Seetoo emphasized the importance and urgency of returning residents to their homes, stating, “We understand how important it is to get it right for the citizens living in this affected area. Effective immediately, some of the mandatory evacuation orders will be lifted in some of the areas. We will downgrade the volume of evacuation orders, allowing some citizens who evacuated back into their homes. Our primary goal is to open the area as quickly and safely as possible for the community. We will continue to aggressively provide security patrols to this entire community.” Seetoo urged the community to refer to Protect.Genasys.com for specific information regarding locations eligible for repopulation. This is also the channel referred to the community during the virtual town hall meeting held on Youtube on Thursday, December 12. An in-person town hall event was held at the City of Malibu Council Chambers on Wednesday, December 18, offering resources for residents, as well as a forum for feedback from the community.
During the height of evacuations, shelters were open, both for human and animal residents, at a variety of locations in the surrounding area, including the Santa Monica Malibu Unified School District in Santa Monica, the Agoura Animal Shelter in Agoura Hills, and Pierce College in Woodland Hills.
Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath shared mental health resources available to those impacted by the Franklin Fire, including resources at AlertLA.org, by phone at 988, and by calling 800-854-7771 to be connected to Department of Mental Health Officials, and then directed to appropriate services.
Smokey Bear reminds motorists on numerous signs posted at fire stations along roadways throughout the Santa Monica Mountains that, “only you can prevent wildfires.” When the worst happens, and wildfires blaze out of control regardless, it is the plural you, made up of local volunteers taking care of their communities, firefighters and emergency personnel assembling from near and far, and neighbors pulling together to care for each other, that gets our mountains, friends, and community through these disasters.
During times of power shut-off, residents are encouraged to check KNX 1070 for updates and information. For those with internet connectivity, TCEP.org is the best place to find Topanga emergency information.
Filed by staff writer Elizabeth Guldimann
