Art by Ava Miller
Transparency Item: The Perspectives section of the Graphic is comprised of articles based on opinion. This is the opinion and perspective of the writer.
Malibu City Council unanimously approved an emergency declaration Aug. 10, allowing the city to clear homeless encampments without multiple days notice.
The severity of the fire risk Malibu faces cannot be understated. The December 2024 Franklin Fire resulted in a devastating toll of 4,086 acres burned and 20 structures destroyed, according to Cal Fire. The far more destructive Palisades Fire in January 2025 destroyed 6,845 buildings and claimed 12 civilian fatalities.
While fire risk prevention is deeply serious to the Malibu community, it should not sour our judgment on the unhoused.
The declaration will remain in effect until three criteria are met: The city of Malibu receives two inches of rain, live fuel moisture (LFM) is at least 80%, and a red flag warning has not been issued for two weeks.
This set of criteria will keep the declaration in place for the foreseeable future, with conditions potentially not permitting encampments until wintertime. Malibu surely faces a fire risk problem, but it also has a serious anti-homelessness problem.
Open flames in homeless encampments have likely caused approximately 40 fires in Malibu since 2021. Although this number seems daunting, half of these incidents occurred in 2021 when the unhoused population of Malibu sat at 157 individuals, according to the LA Times.
The number of annual encampment fires has steadily declined along with Malibu’s unhoused population, which currently rests at 27 individuals across 16 dwellings, according to the LA Times. Mayor Bruce Silverstein defends the declaration as “an important preventative measure to reduce wildfire risk and protect lives and homes in Malibu,” according to Canyon News.
However, the numbers don’t add up.
Unhoused citizens are simply not chief offenders of fire-related events. Though two small fires have been noted, a significant wildfire has not been credited to homelessness in 2026, according to the LA Times. With the unhoused population and fire-related incidents in steady decline over the past few years, the severity of this measure is excessive.
The City of Malibu claims to take a “proactive, service-driven approach,” according to their website. Nevertheless, sweeping deconstruction could render unhoused individuals more vulnerable.
Sheriff’s deputies oversee the removal of encampments. Those who refuse to vacate face risk of arrest, according to the LA Times. At the present moment, Malibu’s stance on homelessness is anything but transparent.
County leaders have recently affirmed their stance against the criminalization of homelessness, according to Spectrum News. Uncertainty emerges as deputies retain the right to arrest noncompliers.
Due to encampment closures, many people have lost important items such as identification or vital documents — losses that can hinder a person’s chances of finding employment or housing. Others have reported incidents of losing electronic benefit transfer (EBT) cards, baby formula, loved one’s ashes and seizure medication, according to ProPublica.
Malibu’s unhoused are at heightened risk of suffering similar consequences given the declaration’s inclusion of both same-day notice and same-day deconstruction.
It would be irresponsible not to acknowledge Malibu’s extensive history with wildfire and the rampant damage it has caused, but that does not open the door for the humanity of the unhoused to be cast to the wayside.
The City of Malibu Council Agenda Report sets “improving public safety” as a goal, yet this declaration can result in the conditions of the unhoused being severely diminished. The championing of fire risk reduction has allowed anti-homeless sentiment to take hold.
Meal vouchers are a potential policy alternative to no-notice encampment removal. During the peak of fire danger, a fraction of the budget could sponsor meal vouchers for the unhoused. This would disincentivize the use of open flame for cooking, bringing the already meager fire reports even lower.
Malibu is still in a period of rebuilding. During this time, we as a community must honor those who lost their lives in recent fires by taking action to prevent future incidents. However, we must not become so lost in this pursuit that we neglect the needs of some of the community’s most vulnerable. We must pursue egalitarian solutions that leave no one behind.
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Contact Riley McGeehon via email: riley.mcgeehon@pepperdine.edu