Malibu, the famed beachside city billionaires and Hollywood elite call home, is declaring an emergency that will allow it to remove unsightly homeless encampments.
Malibu officials unanimously approved the action because of drying vegetation in the area that has dropped below the city’s 65% fuel moisture threshold for hazardous fire conditions, officials announced Thursday.
Live vegetation below 60% fuel moisture can burn like dead brush, officials said, adding urgency as encampments increase the fire risk.
The city’s most recent sample of vegetation yielded a 63% live fuel moisture, down from the last measurement of 67%.
JK, 76, rests on a bus bench as a homeless woman carries her belongings in front of the Malibu Library in Malibu, California, on Wednesday, October 15, 2025. Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
A homeless man sits with his belongings in Legacy Park on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, in Malibu, California. Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
“Declaring a local emergency provides an important proactive measure to reduce wildfire risk and protects lives and homes in Malibu as fire conditions worsen as we move towards the peak fire season,” Mayor Bruce Silverstein said in a statement.
The announcement allows the city to expedite the removal of homeless encampments specifically in “Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones.” Normally, California law requires the city to provide a more extensive notification to the local homeless population before removing encampments. Now, officials can make clean-ups and removals within a day.
David Verwey, 37, watches a man walk his dog in Legacy Park, where he has been living homeless for the past two months, on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, in Malibu, California. Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
David Verwey, 37, walks through Legacy Park where he has been living homeless on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, in Malibu, California. Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
The local homeless population sat at around 27 people with 16 makeshift homes, according to the city’s 2026 count. The population is much improved from 46 homeless people in 2025 and 157 in 2021.
Officials said the declaration will remain until Malibu receives 2 inches of rain, live fuel moisture reaches at least 80% and no Fire Weather Watches or Red Flag Warnings have been issued for two weeks or appear in the extended forecast.
The Palisades Fire swept through Malibu in January 2025, decimating the area.
Much of the city’s coastal properties were eviscerated, and human remains were even found in a home destroyed by the fire.
Residents are still struggling with the rebuilding process.
Red tape and the high cost of construction have caused many homeowners to simply sell their lots, while the few that have started rebuilding say it’s taken about a year of headaches to green light shovels in the ground.
