Frustrated Malibu residents packed the Malibu High School auditorium Saturday, Jan. 25, for a town hall hosted by the City of Malibu — aimed at discussing rebuilding plans post-Palisades Fire and providing residents with a place to ask their questions.
Residents who spoke during the meeting aired their frustrations — saying communication failures were caused by Southern California Edison’s (SCE) Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS).
PSPS occurs when a utility company preemptively shuts off power during fire-prone weather conditions, like high winds, to reduce the risk of power lines sparking a fire. Southern California has experienced these frequently this season, driven by an unusually high number of extreme Santa Ana wind events in January, according to Fast Company.
Malibu resident Lea Johnson said the shutoffs left her in a dangerous situation with little to no information.
“I did not have cell reception,” Johnson said. “I didn’t know where the fires were, how were the fires, if there were fires. We were completely in the dark.”
Malibu resident Bambi Young echoed Johnson’s concerns, calling PSPS a “disaster.”
“The reason it doesn’t work is that we can’t communicate,” Young said.
Another resident, Wade Major, expressed his distaste towards the fire-preventing measures.
“And SCE — take your third-world public safety power shutoffs,” Malibu resident Wade Major said.
Amid the frustration, residents emphasized the need for swift and immediate action and improvements to Malibu’s infrastructure. The message was clear: Help is needed, and it is needed now.
Malibu resident Brian Goldberg suggested the current closure of Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) poses an optimal opportunity for SCE to underground power lines.
“The whole PCH is closed, this is the perfect opportunity to dig a trench and put all the poles underground,” Goldberg said.
An SCE representative replied, “We are looking at undergrounding the lines in those neighborhoods that were devastated and we’re working to accelerate that work utilizing the expedited processes at the federal, state, and local level,” she said.
While residents criticized SCE, they also blamed to the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA).
The MRCA manages and provides ranger services to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. The two organizations work together to complete park improvement projects, which residents said, are lacking.
“MRCA left vegetation to grow and create fuel for the fire,” Malibu resident Colin Drummond said.
The issue of fuel modification — removing flammable vegetation to reduce the spread of fire — was a recurring demand.
“We need to do fuel reduction,” Malibu resident Pete Weeger said. “And as far as I’m concerned the MRCA has blood on their hands. How many people died?”
Residents expressed frustration with what they perceived as MRCA’s lack of preparation or support for Malibu during the Palisades Fire.
“Is there anybody here [from MRCA]? No? Why not? You caused the fire by not allowing the area to be cleared of brush,” Malibu resident Ted Vail said.
Major, along with other residents, called for the management of the Santa Monica Mountains to be switched from MRCA to the national parks.
“The MRCA has had its day and it’s time to turn over the Santa Monica Mountains to the national parks,” he said.
State Sen. Ben Allen of District 24 attended the town hall.
“I’d like to see them [MRCA] transfer the land over to the state parks,” Allen said, noting that he has been advocating for such change for years.
As the Malibu community grieves the devastating losses caused by the Palisades Fire, they remain determined to build back better and ensure the city is better protected from future disasters.
“This town is a community of love and we have the smartest people in the room to put it back together,” resident and former City Council member Skyler Peak said.
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Contact Nora Moriarty-McLaughlin via email: nora.mclaughlin@pepperdine.edu
