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M A LIB U ’S AWA RD W INN IN G N E WSPA P E R S I N CE 1 94 6 VOL. LXXIX • NO. XXXVII
THURSDAY, JANUARY 9, 2025
malibutimes.com • $.50 • WEEKLY
Serra Retreat resident William Woodward lost his home during the Franklin Fire on Dec. 9, 2024. Photos by Samantha Bravo/TMT.
Franklin Fire victim finds ‘hope in heartbreak’ after losing home
While out of state with a family emergency, his burned home became the symbol of Malibu’s latest fire tragedy By JUDY ABEL Special to The Malibu Times
A fast-moving wildfire broke out in Pacific Palisades on Tuesday, Jan. 7, Los Angeles County Fire Department battling the blaze.. Photos by Samantha Bravo/TMT.
Wind-driven Palisades Fire forces thousands to evacuate Fueled by Santa Ana winds, the wildfire quickly consumes over 2,900 acres as of Tuesday evening By HAYLEY MATTSON Publisher
A rapidly spreading wildfire erupted in Pacific Palisades on Tuesday, Jan. 7, just as The Malibu Times was going to press. Driven by powerful Santa Ana winds, the blaze began near the 1100 block of North Piedra Morada Drive and quickly expanded to over 772 acres, prompting
immediate evacuation orders for approximately 27,000 residents. The Palisades Fire ignited during extreme fire conditions, with the National Weather Service issuing red flag warnings for the region. Damaging wind gusts ranging from 50 to 80 mph, and potentially up to 100 mph in mountainous areas, created a “life-threatening, destructive”
environment that exacerbated the fire’s rapid growth and complicated containment efforts. Evacuation orders extended from the hills of Pacific Palisades down to the Pacific Coast Highway (PCH), and eventually spread into Malibu’s Sunset Mesa neighborhood and as far west as Las Flores Canyon. A chaotic scene CONTINUED ON PAGE A5
If you watched news coverage of the Franklin Fire on TV you no doubt saw the image of William Woodward’s burnedout home, one of two lost in the Serra Retreat neighborhood. A friend of Woodward called the house “the poster child for this fire, nothing but piles of ash and broken tiles, and the circular metal staircases lying half buried and charred.” Woodward who purchased the house from Caitlyn (then Bruce) Jenner’s family would have fought the blaze himself with a fire hose and pool pump he had at the ready. “You have to listen
Debris, erosion control, and flooding concerns Property owners grapple with removing debris after the Franklin Fire By BARBARA BURKE Special to The Malibu Times
Our Lady of Malibu School students and faculty returned to a fire-damaged campus after winter break. Photo Courtesy of Gina Longo
Students return to schools damaged by the Franklin Fire Faculty and staff from Webster, OLM worked over the winter break to get campuses ready By BARBARA BURKE Special to The Malibu Times
Happy children and parents bid one another goodbye on Jan. 6 in front of Webster Elementary School and Our Lady of Malibu School, as they had been doing all school year, until the Franklin Fire damaged both structures on Dec. 10. The Franklin Fire erupted around 11 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, near Malibu Canyon Road. Fueled by the Santa Ana winds, the wildfire quickly spread, prompting mandatory evacuations and road closures. The fire scorched more than 4,037 acres, destroying
As Malibuites impacted by the Franklin Fire try to remove debris on their property caused by the disaster and, to the extent possible, attempt to protect both scarred hillsides and landscape and structures when rains arrive, several area resources can provide sage advice to assist with such efforts.
debris removal program to help residents. Prior to any debris removal, residents must complete the Local Fire Debris Removal Program application and send that form to franklinfire@malibucity.org or take the form to City Hall by Feb. 28, 2025. Notably, the application and its appended information is comprehensive and licensed contractors must be utilized. A work plan and reports outline must be submitted to the city informing how an owner proposes to perform the work andthe process also specifically addresses removal Graphic in LA County’s Guide shows how of trees — often the city biologist to prevent post-fire rain damage. Graphics
Debris removal 20 structures, and damaging 28 CONTINUED ON PAGE A6 Courtesy of LA County Public Works The City of Malibu provides a structures. The fire was declared 100 percent contained on Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024, around 8 p.m. For a few days after the fire, Members proudly represent Malibu Elementary School kindly their community in the hosted faculty, staff, and students of 136th Annual Tournament Webster before students dispersed of Roses Parade for the holidays. Faculty and staff from both By BARBARA BURKE Special to The Malibu Times schools worked tirelessly over the winter break to get the campuses For the second year in a row, some ready for the students to return. “Our return to campus was a members of the Malibu Boys & testament to the resilience and Girls Club marched in the Tournatogetherness that define our ment of Roses Parade on New Year’s school community,” said Principal Day. The organization was honored Carina Diana of Webster School. in the 136th parade in recognition “We celebrated with a joyful of its “Kindness is Free” curriculum, field day, featuring activities which involves both children and that emphasized gratitude and adults taking a kindness pledge and collaboration. The excitement and practicing acts of kindness. “We at BGCM are so honored to Members of the Boys & Girls Club of Malibu participated in the Tournament of Roses parade. smiles on our students’ faces were once again be walking in the parade, Here, they pose in front of the float before entering the parade. Images courtesy of Violet truly heartwarming.”
Kindness is Free: Malibu Boys & Girls Club shines
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Way, Director of Education.
to the fireman and the police. They know what they’re doing, but at some point, you have to defend your house,” he said. However, the 24-year resident was in Florida at the bedside of his brother who underwent life-saving surgery. The tightknit siblings had just lost their sister three weeks earlier after a long-fought illness and hospital stay, so Woodward was sticking to his brother’s side during his. Unable to return to Malibu for five days while helping to nurse his brother to health, Woodward said he felt helpless watching the images on TV that focused on his destroyed home. He raised four children there, CONTINUED ON PAGE A7
INSIDE
this week
Malibu High School’s second-ever principal retires |B1
News Briefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A3 • City of Malibu is committed to fostering community-wide preparedness Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A4 • Events Real Estate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A7 • New state Insurance Commission rules Malibu Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B1 • Kindness abounds at the Malibu Boys & Girls Club People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B2 • Ben Marcus: Adrenaline is a Funny Drug Legals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B3 Business & Directory . . . . B5 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B5 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . .B8 • Former Malibuite claimed silver in Paralympics