Malibu declares local emergency as wildfire conditions worsen

The Malibu City Council unanimously approved the declaration on August 10 after Live Fuel Moisture (LFM) levels fell to 63%, below the city’s 65% threshold for hazardous fire conditions. Malibu is entirely within a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone.

The emergency declaration allows officials to expedite the removal of homeless encampments in high-risk areas, enabling removals to be completed within a day, compared with the more extensive notice process normally required under state law.

The city said its approach combines encampment enforcement with outreach and housing assistance. The 2026 Homeless Count recorded 27 unhoused people and 16 dwellings in Malibu, the lowest number since tracking began in 2016, down from 46 people in 2025 and 157 in 2021.

The emergency will remain in effect until Malibu receives at least two inches of rain, LFM reaches 80%, and there have been no Fire Weather Watches or Red Flag Warnings in the previous two weeks or in the extended forecast.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that a major wildfire forced evacuations in the northern Greek summer resort of Halkidiki.