The devastating Palisades Fire that broke out on January 7, 2025 consumed over 23,000 acres of land and destroyed thousands of homes, businesses and other structures. As the fire spread into Topanga Canyon, our local professional and volunteer firefighting crews were on the front lines protecting the community. While there were some homes and lives lost, Topanga was largely spared from widespread destruction.
Topanga’s fire crew responds to traffic accidents in the canyon, medical emergencies, lost and stranded hikers, vehicles over the side, and every imaginable kind of crisis that happens in Topanga. Station 69 is always first on the scene any time there is a fire in the canyon. Fire crews from all over the West rolled in to help fight the Palisades Fire and mop up afterward, but Station 69 was here from the start, working to keep the community safe.
Many grateful Topangans have been asking how they can make donations to support our local firefighters. The Topanga Coalition for Emergency Preparedness (TCEP), has set up this campaign as a convenient and transparent way to do that. 100% of funds raised through this campaign will directly support local firefighting resources in Topanga. TCEP will use the funds to purchase equipment that firefighters have told us they need and then donate the equipment in-kind directly to them.
One large item on the wish list is a side-by-side ATV. This type of vehicle is a critically important resource for scouting access points and directing dozer teams to create fire line breaks across the rugged and difficult to access Topanga landscape.
After the forward progress of the Palisades Fire in Topanga was stopped, local crews were instrumental in helping Cal Fire teams cut fire breaks across ridge lines and up and down hillsides around populated areas to help protect homes in case the fire reignited from the continuing Red Flag winds. They used a borrowed ATV to get this work done. Having an ATV always at the ready will make it easier to perform this type of proactive effort which could help to slow the spread of any future wildfires.
This campaign is the most efficient and transparent way for the Topanga community to keep donations at the local level. All money raised through this campaign will be held in a separate TCEP-owned bank account. We will purchase and donate requested equipment as soon as administratively feasible.
Thank you firefighters for protecting Topanga! We owe you big time!
TCEP is a 501(c)(3) non-profit all volunteer organization based in Topanga, CA. For over three decades, we’ve provided emergency preparedness education and disaster status information to residents of Topanga, Malibu and surrounding areas. TCEP is a trusted local resource for LA County Fire, LA County Sheriff, CHP, CalTrans, LA County Office of Emergency Management, Southern California Edison, LA County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath and other government and non-government agencies. Our relationships with first responders and elected officials enable us to gather and verify incident information before posting to the public. Learn more at tcep.org
Go to GoFundMe.com and search for Fire Station 69.
