Fat Elephant

Fat Elephant

Oh, By the Way, Malibu Is Burning

M Dowling

Malibu Is Burning

The fast-moving Bryson Fire broke out Thursday, October 15, near Encinal Canyon Road and Mulholland Highway, raising concerns about homes and communities along the Santa Monica Mountains.

By Friday morning, the fire had burned about 147 acres, and containment had improved from 5% to 17%. More than 285 firefighters worked overnight to slow its advance, while evacuation orders and warnings remained in effect for nearby communities.

The flames initially moved south and southwest toward the Pacific coast, putting western Malibu and surrounding canyon communities. Areas near Encinal Canyon, Kanan Road and the coastal mountains face the most immediate concern.

The National Weather Service has warned that Santa Ana wind gusts could reach 70 mph in some mountain areas, with critical fire weather conditions continuing through Saturday evening.

The California government says they are not responsible

A few weeks ago, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill to block lawsuits claiming the government failed to provide enough water to put out the Palisades fires.

As the city of Los Angeles and the L.A. Department of Water and Power face lawsuits from residents claiming the city failed to provide enough water to fight the Palisades fire, California legislators passed a bill that would give water agencies a new tool to defend themselves in such cases.

The legislation, Senate Bill 1153, states that public water agencies have no duty to design, build, or maintain a water system for wildfire defense or suppression, and that an inability to maintain water supply or pressure during a wildfire is not a “substantial cause” of fire damages.

There was a time when officials would beg forgiveness and explain what they would do to make sure it never happened again. Now, they just call a lawyer.

 

Just in case they try to blame Trump

The Bryson Fire is primarily a state responsibility, managed by the Los Angeles County Fire Department under Unified Command. Federal agencies provide support as needed.

According to official CAL FIRE records, the Bryson Fire is not classified as a CAL FIRE incident in the traditional sense, but it is under the jurisdiction of the Los Angeles County Fire Department with Unified Command led by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office. This indicates that the fire is being managed as a local/state-level incident rather than a federal incident.