Malibu city leaders warn of fines with brush clearance deadline looming

Malibu city leaders are urging residents to clear the brush surrounding their homes by the weekend or else they could face fines. 

Beginning on Sunday, Los Angeles County Fire Department crews will inspect properties located in "High Fire Hazard Zones." They say it will hopefully reduce fire risk surrounding those homes in the event that a blaze should break out as fire season looms. 

Over the years, Judy Graham-Bell's home survived the Palisades Fire in January, though several others close by didn't. She says that she has worked hard over the yearsw to make sure that flammable materials and the vegetation surrounding her own home were cleared in order to reduce the risk. 

When asked if she thinks that's what saved her home, she said it absolutely was. 

"Not having the dead matter around, it was not having the trees around," she said. "I think that's why it's so, so important not to have plants or flowers, such as oleander and hibiscus."

She's hopeful that her neighbors will begin to the do the same, especially as the June 1st deadline for mandatory annual brush clearance nears for Malibu residents.

Jerry Vandermeulen is a former firefighter who now works as the city's fire safety liaison. He visits homeowners to give them free advice and guidance on how to retrofit their homes with tools that could help prevent damage in a fire. 

"I think the fires that we've been having in the last couple of years really kinda underscore the importance of doing it," he said. 

Since 2019, the city has completed more than 525 assessments, 50% of which were in compliance, Vandermeulen said. 

The June 1 deadline requires that homeowners clear at least 100 feet of flammable vegetation from near their property lines, trim tress and remove any dead plants. Those who don't do so could be fined or have a lien placed on their property.