The city of Malibu and the county of Los Angeles will begin examining the response to and recovery from the Woolsey fire, the fast-moving and most destructive wildfire in recent Southern California history.
Citing the “new era of threat from wildfires,” the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously last month to convene a panel to review the cause of the Woolsey fire, the deployment of firefighters, evacuation procedures and the communication among first responders, police and municipalities.
The fire broke out Nov. 8 and quickly spread to more than 96,000 acres, killing three people and destroying more than 1,600 structures before it was contained on Thanksgiving Day.
Officials have said thousands of homes were saved, but residents in the flames’ path have criticized firefighters and authorities for a slow response, a paucity of firefighting resources and conflicting evacuation information.