Santa Monica Smoke Advisory: Updated December 11 at 1:15 PM

December 11, 2017 1:15 PM

1:15 PM, Monday, December 11, 2017

The City of Santa Monica extends its gratitude to Santa Monica Fire Department personnel and all first responders for their valiant efforts battling wildfires across Southern California.

A Red Flag warning remains in place until 8:00 p.m. on Monday, December 11, 2017 for the Los Angeles area due to wind gusts up to 25 mph and low relative humidity. Use extreme caution with potential fire ignition sources.

Smoke may impact the Northwest Los Angeles County coast as the Thomas Fire in Ventura County continues. Please monitor weather forecasts and air quality reports for more information on conditions in your neighborhood.

As recovery and clean-up begins in the Los Angeles region, please review the following directions from Los Angeles County Department of Public Health in order to practice safe clean-up after a wildfire event. http://bit.ly/SafeFireCleanup

City of Santa Monica services are fully operational. If you have additional questions, call the City Hall information booth at 310-458-8411.

2:05 PM, Saturday, December 9, 2017

As of 2:05 p.m. on Saturday, December 9, air quality conditions are good as defined by AQMD. Monitor the air quality in your area by entering your zip code at http://www.aqmd.gov.

Smoke conditions could worsen if winds change directions. Use extra caution and check emergency kit items. Stay tuned to social and local media for updates.

As of today, all Malibu schools will be on open on Monday, December 11. Additionally, CDS preschool, and before- and after-school programs will be open as well. The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) team met and discussed the latest information and believe that Malibu schools will be able to reopen on Monday, December 11. SMMUSD will continue to monitor conditions over the weekend, watching for changes that might impact our ability to have school resume.

12:15 PM, Friday, December 8, 2017

The National Weather Service issued information that winds may shift smoke from the Thomas Fire in Ventura County to the Los Angeles County coast during the afternoon of Friday, December 8, 2017. Air quality in Santa Monica could shift from moderate to unhealthy for sensitive groups of individuals, particularly those with pre-existing respiratory and cardiovascular (lung and heart) disease, children, pregnant women, and older adults.

It is recommended that you avoid smoke as much as possible. Monitor the air quality in your area by entering your zip code at http://www.aqmd.gov. If the Air Quality Index is above 100, sensitive groups mentioned above should suspend outdoor activity. If conditions rise above 150, it is recommended that all individuals suspend outdoor activity.

City of Santa Monica outdoor programs and facilities will continue to monitor air quality and may close. Please call the site for more information and continue to check the smoke advisory.

Scroll down to the bottom of this post for tips from L.A. County Public Health on mitigating the impacts of the poor air quality.

7:15 PM, December 7, 2017

Air quality in Santa Monica and Northwest Coastal LA County maintained at an acceptable level according to AQMD. A Wind Advisory is in effect until Friday, December 8 at 4:00 p.m. and Red Flag Warning is in effect until Sunday, December 10 at 8:00 p.m.

For information on the Skirball Fire, check www.lacity.org for the latest evacuation maps and repopulation plans.

City of Santa Monica outdoor facilities and fields will reopen beginning Friday, December 8. CREST after school programs will have limited programming on Friday, December 8. Please call the specific site for latest information (numbers below).

Santa Monica SMMUSD Schools will be open on Friday, December 8, 2017. Malibu SMMUSD Schools will be closed on Friday, December 8, 2017. More information at www.smmusd.org.

Open Schools in Santa Monica:Edison, Franklin, Grant, McKinley, Muir, Rogers, Roosevelt, SMASH, JAMS, Lincoln MS, Olympic HS, Samohi

Closed Schools in Malibu: Cabrillo, Point Dume, Webster, Malibu HS

Community Recreation Numbers:

Community Classes & Camps: (310) 458-2239

CREST: (310) 458-8540 (Limited indoor programming. No outside activities. Sports teams will meet with their coaches, however no actual practice will be held.)

Annenberg Community Beach House: (310) 458-4904

Santa Monica Swim Center: (310) 458-8700

The Cove Skatepark: (310) 458-8237

Tennis: (310) 394-6011

Permit Groups: (310) 458-8300

Virginia Avenue Park: (310) 458-8688

General Community Recreation Inquiries: (310) 458-8300

4:15 PM, December 7, 2017

Based on current Skirball Fire conditions, Santa Monica College will resume all classes, services and programs on all campuses on Friday, December 8, 2017. More information at www.smc.edu and @SMC_edu on Twitter.

12:15 PM, December 7, 2017

A team of firefighters were deployed overnight until early morning on Thursday conducting a safety patrol of the Santa Monica monitoring for fire and embers with the increased winds and the uncontained Skirball Fire. This was a preventative measure and it’s important that residents stay vigilant and take measures to dispose of combustible material around their homes and stay alert of the current conditions.

The Santa Monica Fire Department deployed two engines to the Thomas Fire at 11 p.m on Monday, December 4 as part of our Mutual Aid Strike Team with Culver City FD and Beverly Hills FD. At 8:30 on Tuesday, December 5, Los Angeles City Fire (LAFD) requested a strike team deployment to the Creek Fire in the Sylmar area. SMFD sent one Engine and one Battalion Chief to assist. Those resources were re-deployed to the Skirball Fire where SMFD has B2, TRN3 & E1 with LAFD resources. SMFD has recalled off-duty personnel to staff reserve engines. There is no interruption in emergency services to the Santa Monica community while the Strike Teams are deployed.

6:00 AM, December 7, 2017

A wind advisory and Red Flag warning remain in place for the region. Smoke conditions could worsen if winds change directions. Residents and those visiting Santa Monica are advised to reduce outdoor and physical activity. Use extra caution and check emergency kit items. Stay tuned to social and local media for updates.

The Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District remains closed Thursday, December 7. Santa Monica College classes and campus are closed Thursday. City of Santa Monica outdoor programs and facilities are canceled as well as CREST after-school programs for Thursday. City Hall and City services are operational. If you have questions, call the Help Desk at 310-458-8411.

Santa Monica Fire Department has a total of 14 members deployed to the Thomas Fire and Skirball Fire, and has recalled off-duty personnel to staff reserve engines. There is no interruption in emergency services to the Santa Monica community while the Strike Teams are deployed.

6:35 PM, December 6, 2017

Extended periods of moderate to strong Santa Ana winds are anticipated through Friday. Gusty, damaging winds are likely to begin again Wednesday evening and continue Thursday throughout beach, valley, and mountain communities. There is a potential for downed trees, power lines and power outages. To report downed trees or fallen limbs in the public right of way, please contact the Public Landscape Division at 310-458-8974. Contact Southern California Edison for power line or outage issues.

City of Santa Monica outdoor programs are suspended due to smoke. Outdoor facilities and fields are closed, programs that are indoors will remain indoors. CREST after-school programs are closed due to SMMUSD's closure. Closures are in effect Thursday, December 7, 2017. Please call the specific site for more information (see list below).

11:35 AM, December 5, 2017

L.A. County Public Health advises residents and workers in the city to follow these steps to mitigate the impacts of the poor air quality:

Reduce outdoor and physical activity today. This is especially important for children, women who are pregnant, and those with asthma and other respiratory diseases.
Try to keep indoor air as clean as possible by keeping windows and doors closed. Air conditioners that re-circulate air within the home can help filter out harmful particles.
Avoid using air conditioning units that only draw in air from the outside or that do not have a re-circulating option. Residents should check the filters on their air conditioners and replace them regularly. Indoor air filtration devices with HEPA filters can further reduce the level of particles that circulate indoors.
If it is too hot during the day to keep the doors or windows closed and you do not have an air conditioning unit that re-circulates indoor air, consider going to an air conditioned public place, such as a library or shopping center, to stay cool and to protect yourself from harmful air.
Do not use fireplaces (either wood burning or gas), candles, and vacuums. Use damp cloths to clean dusty indoor surfaces. Do not smoke.
If you have symptoms of lung or heart disease that may be related to smoke exposure, including severe coughing, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, wheezing, chest tightness or pain, palpitations, nausea or unusual fatigue or lightheadedness, contact your doctor immediately or go to an urgent care center. If life threatening, please contact 911.
Avoid leaving your pets outdoors, particularly at night. Pets should be brought into an indoor location, such as an enclosed garage or a house.

The Santa Monica Fire Department deployed two engines to the Thomas Fire at 11 p.m on Monday, December 4 as part of our Mutual Aid Strike Team with Culver City FD and Beverly Hills FD. At 8:30 on Tuesday, December 5, Los Angeles City Fire (LAFD) requested a strike team deployment to the Creek Fire in the Sylmar area. SMFD sent one Engine and one Battalion Chief to assist. They are currently assisting LAFD with multiple structure fires in that area. SMFD has a total of 13 members deployed to area fires and has recalled off-duty personnel to staff reserve engines. There is no interruption in emergency services to the Santa Monica community while the Strike Teams are deployed.

Only call 9-1-1 for emergencies. Please avoid jamming 9-1-1 lines by reporting smoke. Sign up for Emergency Alerts from the City of Santa Monica at smalerts.net and follow the City of Santa Monica on Twitter.

Helpful resources and social media accounts:

LA City Emergency Management District: Twitter
Los Angeles County Public Health: Website I Twitter
Santa Monica Fire Department: Facebook I Twitter

Community Recreation numbers:

Community Classes & Camps: (310) 458-2239
CREST: (310) 458-8540
Annenberg Community Beach House: (310) 458-4904
Santa Monica Swim Center: (310) 458-8700
The Cove Skatepark: (310) 458-8237
Tennis: (310) 394-6011
Permit Groups: (310) 458-8300
Virginia Avenue Park: (310) 458-8688
General Community Recreation Inquiries: (310) 458-8300

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Media Contact

Joseph Vandenorth
Public Information Coordinator
Joseph.Vandenorth@SMGOV.NET

Departments

City Manager's Office

More Information

http://www.aqmd.gov/
https://www.santamonica.gov/blog/faq-what-santa-monicans-should-know-about-the-fire
https://twitter.com/santamonicacity/lists/emergency-alerts