It has been 1 year since Malibu was hit with one of the worst wildfires it has ever experienced. Although Malibu’s charred hillsides have come back to life, the devastation is still very real in the lives of family, friends, and our community.

On November 8th, a major wind event sparked several fast-burning fires in California. In Northern California, the Camp Fire became the most destructive wildfire in California history and completely destroyed the mountain town of Paradise. When the fire broke out in Woolsey Canyon, fire department resources were spread thin and the blaze quickly jumped the 101 freeway. By the morning of the 9th, we all knew that Malibu was in trouble. Pacific Coast Highway was quickly gridlocked and residents scrambled to safeguard their homes, save valuables, and pack their cars. For the following 24 hours, Malibu turned black with smoke and many lives were changed forever.

Over the next several days with Malibu completely blocked off from the outside world, residents and firefighters worked to put off spot fires and save whatever they could. Locals banded together in incredible acts of selflessness and bravery, even guarding neighborhoods against looters. It was not until November 21st that the Woolsey Fire was marked as 100% contained.

What Was Lost

The Woolsey Fire burned over 96,000 acres of land in Los Angeles and Ventura County, destroying 1,643 structures according to the LA Times. 295,000 people were evacuated and three people lost their lives. It was a tragedy on an unimaginable scale.

In Malibu City limits, at least 670 structures were destroyed including over 400 single-family homes. The neighborhoods of Malibu Park, Point Dume, and the canyons faced the worst of the devastation. Some residents stayed behind and fought bravely to save their homes, many with success. The fire department’s actions during the Woolsey Fire remain a controversial subject. Pepperdine University enacted a “shelter in place” policy which kept students on the campus during the fire and many of the fire engines stayed in that area. This has also been criticized by affected residents.

The Effort to Rebuild

After the fires, the City of Malibu set up a one-stop place for those affected by the fires and hired a consulting firm to help expedite the rebuilding process. Affected residents were granted an expedited permitting process that removes much of the red tape builders typically face. They allowed rebuilds within the same footprint, plus up to 10%, and a permit process that would take 6 months to a year.

One year later, and things are not moving as quickly as some would hope. The city has a rebuild statistics page, and as of November 7th it shows the following progress:

• No homes have been completed
• 32 building permits have been issued
• 170 projects have been approved by planning
• 12 projects are currently under review

Of these homes being rebuilt, 32.9% have opted to rebuild in the same size and location. The majority of rebuilders (60%) have taken advantage of the 10% size increase in the same location. Only 7.1% of these projects have decided to make major changes, thus forgoing their right to the expedited permitting process.

Selling and Moving On

As residents of Malibu, we would love nothing more than to see every victim of the Woolsey Fire rebuild and stay within the community. However, the unfortunate reality is that for some, the most sensible course of action is to sell and move on.

Since shortly after the fires, these “burnout lots” have been coming onto the market at prices ranging from $275k up to $5 million. As of November 7th, here are the statistics:

• 27 lots actively listed for sale averaging $1.567 million
• 5 lots under contact averaging a list price of $1.622 million
• 12 lots sold averaging a list price of $1.9 million and a sold price of $1.451 million

Most of the lots that have sold as of November 7th are in the neighborhoods of Point Dume and Malibu Park. Only one canyon lot has sold thus far at $600,00 which is 30% below it’s listing price.

For those considering selling, please feel free to reach out to our team for a property evaluation and market overview. As one of Malibu’s top-producing real estate teams and lifelong residents, we are honored to help anyone and everyone however we can.

Malibu Strong

We are encouraged by the love and support that has characterized the recovery efforts over the last year and look forward to seeing more lives and homes restored. Malibu will always be one of the most special and iconic stretches of the California coastline, and we are proud to call it home.

Our heart goes out to those who lost everything and the pain they have endured. We are thinking of you during this time and are inspired by the resilience and courage that so many here have demonstrated.

We’ve partnered with Lasorda Family Wines to give a bottle of wine to those who have been affected by the fires a year ago. This can be picked up at our office on Pacific Coast Highway. Please email russellandtony@compass.com to coordinate.

Stay #MalibuStrong!