Malibu Prepares For First Santa Ana Winds Of Wildfire Season

MALIBU, CA — Malibu is preparing for the first Santa Ana wind event of the 2019/2020 wildfire season, which is in effect in Los Angeles County now through the morning of Wednesday, September 25 — with the strongest winds expected Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.

"During this first Santa Ana wind event, NWS expects the area could potentially experience elevated, brief critical fire weather conditions, with the potential for large fire growth with extreme fire behavior," the City of Malibu said in a press release.

Projected Wind Speeds:

• L.A. and Ventura Counties mountain areas: north-northeast 15-30 mph with gusts to 40 mph
• L.A. and Ventura Counties valleys: north-northeast 10-25 mph with gusts to 35 mph
• L.A. and Ventura Counties coastal areas: north-northeast 10-20 mph
• Minimum Humidities: 8-15 percent Tuesday, and 12-25 percent Wednesday
• Max Temperatures: 90-102 degrees Tuesday, and 87-99 degrees Wednesday

Fuel moisture levels in the Santa Monica Mountains are currently higher than average for this time of year, which reduces the risk of wildfire, according to the Los Angeles County Fire Department. The NWS said that there is still some uncertainty whether offshore winds will reach coastal areas of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties.

"The City and the L.A. County Fire Department are closely monitoring fire conditions, and the Fire Department is deploying additional resources in the Malibu area," the City of Malibu said. "The City will send out emergency and weather alerts and post announcements on social media and the website as conditions warrant."

Residents are advised to monitor the weather on local news such as KNX AM 1070 and KBUU FM 99.1, as well as the National Weather Service.

There have been numerous preparedness activities, trainings and community events to promote community-wide readiness within Malibu in preparation for peak wildfire season in the fall. These activities include weekly testing of the Disaster Notification System throughout September, disaster preparedness classes for seniors and people with disabilities, Community Emergency Response Team courses, workshops on how to harden homes against fire and community meetings on wildfire preparedness.

Learn more about the City’s emergency preparedness activities at www.MalibuCity.org/Emergency.