PALISADES FIRE
AFTER-ACTION REPORT
PALISADES FIRE
AFTER-ACTION REPORT
After-ActionReport
CityofSantaMonica
After-ActionReport
CityofSantaMonica
January2025PalisadesFire
Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only
REPORT PRODUCED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
JACOB GREEN AND ASSOCIATES
Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only Table of Contents
Introduction ...........................................................................................................................................4 Overview of Palisades Fire.................................................................................................................4 Objectives and Scope ...........................................................................................................................5 Purpose ....................................................................................................................................................................5 Methodology..........................................................................................................................................................5 Limitations and Assumptions ........................................................................................................................6 City of Santa Monica.............................................................................................................................7 Agencies and Stakeholders................................................................................................................8 Of;ice of Emergency Management................................................................................................................9 Emergency Operations Center .................................................................................................................... 10 Law Enforcement.............................................................................................................................................. 13 Fire Department................................................................................................................................................ 14 Public Works....................................................................................................................................................... 15 Transportation................................................................................................................................................... 16 Incident Overview ............................................................................................................................. 17 Weather................................................................................................................................................................. 17 Ignition.................................................................................................................................................................. 18 Evacuation ........................................................................................................................................................... 19 Air Quality............................................................................................................................................................ 21 Palisades Fire Incident Sequence of SigniGicant Incidents................................................... 25 Key Decision Points & Actions Taken.......................................................................................... 29 Communications ............................................................................................................................................... 34 Internal and External Communications............................................................................................. 34 Recovery Efforts ................................................................................................................................................ 35 Environmental Health, Water Quality, and Beach Recovery ..................................................... 36 Debris Removal Coordination ................................................................................................................ 37 Transportation Impacts and Economic Effects............................................................................... 37 Business Recovery and Community Support................................................................................... 37 School Relocation and Community Services.................................................................................... 38 Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only FEMA Public Assistance and Financial Recovery........................................................................... 38 Observations and Recommendations ......................................................................................... 39 Observations....................................................................................................................................................... 39 Recommendations............................................................................................................................................ 43
1. Public Information, Communications, and Elected Of;icial Coordination...................... 43
2. Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Governance and Staf;ing ......................................... 44
3. Emergency Management Program Development..................................................................... 44
4. Fire Department Operations and Interagency Coordination............................................... 45
5. Police Department Operations and Security............................................................................... 45
6. Evacuation Planning and Traf;ic Management........................................................................... 46
7. Public Works, Utilities, and Field Safety........................................................................................ 46
8. Training, Exercises, and Community Preparedness................................................................. 46
9. Citywide Planning................................................................................................................................... 47 Implementations and Improvement Plan ................................................................................. 47 Conclusion............................................................................................................................................ 51 Appendix 1: Acronym List............................................................................................................... 52 Appendix 2: Data Sources ............................................................................................................... 54 Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 1 Executive Summary
Jurisdiction City of Santa Monica, California, United States of America Type of Agency Local Government (Charter City)
Cal OES Admin.
Region Southern Region
Cal OES Mutual Aid
Region Region I
Incident Palisades Fire
Type of Hazard Wind Driven Wild;ire
Incident
Period/Duration January 7, 2025, to January 31, 2025
Period Covered by
this Review December 31, 2024, to January 18, 2025 (EOC Deactivated) Mission Area Response
Applicable U.S.
Department of
Homeland Security
Core Capabilities
• Access Control and
Identity Veri;ication
• Community resilience
• Critical
Transportation
• Environmental
Response/Health and
Safety
• Fire Management and
Suppression
• Housing
• Infrastructure Systems
• Intelligence and
Information Sharing
• Mass Care Services
On-scene Security,
Protection, and Law
Enforcement
• Operational
Communications
• Operational
Coordination
• Physical Protective
Measures
• Planning
• Public Health,
Healthcare, and
Emergency Medical
Services
• Public Information
and Warning
• Risk Management for
Protection Programs
and Activities
• Situational
Assessment
Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 2 Notable Strengths
• Strong Incident Management through early situational
awareness, decisive leadership, and effective crossdepartment coordination. • Leveraged established emergency management
structures to maintain a common operating picture and
support timely decision-making.
• Close collaboration between SMFD, SMPD, OEM, and
regional partners enabled the City to address public
safety, infrastructure protection, and information sharing. • Coordinated public information efforts supported
community awareness and con;idence.
Notable
Improvements
• Strengthening public information by providing updated training to Communications Team members.
• Expanding Communications Team staf;ing.
• Establishing formal protocols and liaison roles for elected of;icial engagement.
• Continue to expand EOC staf;ing depth.
• Targeted training for executive leadership and Policy Group members.
• Development of a comprehensive evacuation annex,
traf;ic modeling, and liaison integration with Caltrans and CHP.
• Enhancing ;ield safety for Public Works and PD ;ield staff by providing additional PPE.
The City of Santa Monica’s response to the January 2025 Palisades Fire re;lected a coordinated, citywide effort focused on protecting residents, maintaining essential public services, and supporting regional ;ire suppression operations during an unprecedented wind-driven wild;ire. Although the incident originated outside City limits, the Santa Monica Of;ice of Emergency Management (OEM) proactively activated its Emergency Operations Center (EOC), the ;ire department upstaffed resources in anticipation of predicted Red Flag conditions, and both police and ;ire imbedded senior leadership into the incident command post (ICP) to maintain continual situational awareness and alignment between ;ield operations and City decision making. As conditions deteriorated, the Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) implemented a citywide tactical alert and, as multiple evacuation zones were placed on warning and order status, increased security measures were implemented including a local curfew order. SMPD utilized mutual aid resources to assist with the increased activity in the evacuation zones and to help maintain patrol coverage citywide.
Additionally, the California National Guard was utilized to assist in managing signi;icant traf;ic impacts along Paci;ic Coast Highway (PCH), the Interstate-10 (I-10) corridor, and points of egress and ingress into the Palisades. Additionally, the Santa Monica Public Works Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 3 Department utilized personnel and equipment from all divisions including Water Resources, Public Landscape, and Resource Recovery and Recycling, as well as contracted service providers to execute a large-scale cleanup, removing more than 531 tons of debris and ash while continually maintaining reservoir water levels to protect the City from secondary ignitions and ensure a safe repopulation of impacted areas.
The response to the Palisades Fire was characterized by strong interdepartmental collaboration and an “all-hands” operational approach. Public Information Of;icers (PIOs) from the City Manager’s Of;ice, Fire, Police, and Information Services coordinated multilingual incident messaging across SMAlerts, social media, the City website, and other traditional channels while simultaneously responding directly to high volumes of public inquiries. The EOC provided centralized coordination for logistics, transportation, business outreach, executive brie;ings, and regional partner engagement. Notable strengths included, but were not limited to, early operational brie;ings, effective working relationships with the Los Angeles City Fire Department (LAFD), Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD), California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE), neighboring jurisdictions, and innovative use of City and privately-owned facilities to house and support mutual aid resources. These actions helped sustain local readiness and reinforce public safety, while providing consistent community messaging during a period of heightened anxiety and uncertainty.
While the After-Action Review (AAR) details the City’s strong, collaborative response, it also identi;ies key opportunities to strengthen governance, preparedness, and communications.
Key recommendations include establishing clearer protocols between the EOC, Communications Team, and the City Council; formal onboarding and emergency operations training for elected of;icials regarding EOC roles and emergency information ;low; enhanced GIS and mapping support; re;ining evacuation and curfew policies; improving interagency communications; and expanding staf;ing and surge capacity for emergency communications.
Additional recommendations include formalizing Red Flag upstaf;ing criteria; strengthening succession planning; improving personal protective equipment (PPE) availability for ;ield crews; and continuing to build internal Incident Command System (ICS) depth across departments. Collectively, these lessons reinforce that while the City of Santa Monica’s operational response was effective and highly collaborative, targeted investments in preparedness, communications structure, and leadership continuity will further strengthen the City’s resilience for future large-scale emergencies.
Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 4 Introduction
Jacob Green and Associates (JGA) was selected by the City of Santa Monica to conduct an independent After-Action Review (AAR) and subsequent After-Action Review Report (AARR), undertaken at the direction of the Santa Monica City Council, to evaluate the City’s coordination, communication, and operational response to the January 2025 Palisades Fire and extreme wind event.
JGA would like to thank the City of Santa Monica and all of the City staff for their assistance and input during the entirety of the Palisades Fire AAR.
Overview of Palisades Fire
The January 2025 Palisades Fire was a fast-moving and highly destructive wild;ire that burned along the western edge of the City of Los Angeles and into the Santa Monica Mountains, directly affecting the Paci;ic Palisades area and placing adjacent communities, including the City of Santa Monica, under signi;icant threat. The ;ire ignited during a period of critical ;ire weather marked by strong Santa Ana winds, low relative humidity, and exceptionally dry fuels. These conditions drove rapid ;ire spread in steep, brush-covered terrain within the wildland urban interface (WUI), allowing the ;ire to expand quickly toward residential neighborhoods and major transportation corridors.
As the incident escalated, large-scale evacuations were ordered across portions of Paci;ic Palisades, Topanga Canyon, and surrounding hillside communities. Regional transportation infrastructure was signi;icantly impacted, including closures of PCH and the western terminus of Interstate 10 at Lincoln Boulevard to support evacuation operations and ensure responder safety. Initially a uni;ied, multi-agency response was established involving Los Angeles City and County Fire Departments, law enforcement agencies, and regional partners.
Command was transferred to CAL FIRE Incident Management Team II on January 8, 2025.
Fire suppression efforts included extensive use of ground resources, aircraft, structure defense operations, and coordinated evacuation and public information activities under challenging and evolving conditions.
The Palisades Fire resulted in substantial structural loss and the displacement of thousands of residents. Following full containment on January 31, 2025, recovery efforts focused on damage assessment, debris removal, restoration of transportation access, and reentry planning. The incident prompted renewed examination of wild;ire preparedness, evacuation coordination, interagency and public communications, and infrastructure resilience in coastal and hillside communities, reinforcing the growing risks posed by extreme ;ire weather events in Southern California.
Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 5 Objectives and Scope
Purpose
The purpose of conducting an AAR for the 2025 Palisades Fire is to provide a structured, objective, and independent assessment of the City of Santa Monica’s response to the winddriven wild;ire incident. Consistent with guidance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP), and the California Governor’s Of;ice of Emergency Services (Cal OES), the AAR documents actions taken, evaluates performance against established plans and procedures, and examines how effectively the City activated and utilized its emergency management framework, including departmental coordination and EOC operations. This review ensures that both successful practices and operational challenges are captured in a clear and factual manner grounded in veri;iable information.
Equally important, the AAR serves as a forward-looking tool to strengthen future readiness and resilience. By identifying strengths to sustain and gaps to improve, the review informs actionable recommendations and an Improvement Plan (IP) designed to enhance communications, interagency coordination, situational awareness, and resource management during future wild;ire and large-scale emergency events. The AAR promotes accountability and transparency to City leadership, elected of;icials, and the community, while ensuring that lessons learned from the Palisades Fire are translated into measurable improvements in plans, training, and operational capability.
Serving as an independent consultant, JGA's role was to provide a critical evaluation of the City's response to the Palisades Fire, the effectiveness of the response, and areas where the City's internal processes could be improved.
Methodology
This AAR is intended to evaluate the City of Santa Monica’s preparedness, response, coordination, and recovery related actions during the January 2025 Palisades Fire and extreme wind event. The AAR was conducted by JGA in accordance with the principles and methodology outlined in the California Of+ice of Emergency Services (OES) After-Action Review Creator Guidance, 2025 edition. The review is intended to identify strengths, areas for improvement, and actionable recommendations to enhance future public safety and emergency management capabilities.
The evaluation relied on a qualitative, systems-based approach, including 16 structured interviews with 29 individual members of City leadership and staff, review of relevant plans and policies, analysis of available documentation, and examination of publicly available Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 6 information. The ;indings focus on organizational performance, decision-making frameworks, and information ;low rather than individual actions or outcomes.
An incident timeline was created utilizing timestamped data provided by the City as well as publicly available CAL FIRE Incident Status Reports. Only data that was timestamped or validated was utilized in the creation of the Palisades Fire Incident Timeline.
Following a thorough review of all available documentation and information, the City was given the opportunity to review the draft report and provide feedback. All of the feedback from the City was reviewed and taken into consideration with the ultimate goal of providing a factually accurate report.
Limitations and Assumptions
This report is intended to provide a valuable external perspective on the City of Santa Monica’s response to the Palisades Fire, but it is subject to several important limitations.
These constraints should be acknowledged to ensure appropriate interpretation of the ;indings and recommendations. Limitations and assumptions include the following:
• All information utilized in this report was obtained from City documentation, stakeholder interviews, and open-source data and documentation. • All information obtained through stakeholder interviews is subject to recall bias, inconsistent recollection, and post-incident rationalization due to the months-long period between the actual event and conducting the interviews. • No interviews or data were obtained through outside agencies. • Not every activity performed by City staff during the Palisades Fire is speci;ically addressed in this report.
• This report does not speci;ically focus on any one person or a speci;ic action leading up to, during, or immediately following the Palisades Fire. • The goal of this report is to identify strengths and potential opportunities for improvement.
• All information included in this report obtained through individual interviews is based on personal recollection and the perception of events. • In an attempt to maintain anonymity and to avoid a singular point of view, individual sources were not cited unless speci;ically necessary.
• The primary goal of completing an AAR and AARR is to systematically improve future performance by identifying what occurred, why it occurred, and how organizations can strengthen their preparedness and recovery capabilities. An AAR is fundamentally a learning and improvement tool, not an audit or fault-;inding exercise.
Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 7 City of Santa Monica
The City of Santa Monica is a coastal city of just over 93,0001 residents located on the west side of Los Angeles County, covering approximately 8.3 square miles bordered on its west by Paci;ic Ocean shoreline and beaches. The City is bordered on its remaining boundaries by City of Los Angeles neighborhoods that include Paci;ic Palisades to the north, Brentwood and West Los Angeles to the northeast and east, Mar Vista to the southeast, and Venice to the south. It is known for its scenic beaches, three miles of shoreline, the Santa Monica Pier, vibrant commercial districts, and a strong tourism economy that draws millions of visitors annually, swelling the daytime population to roughly 250,000. The City’s demographic pro;ile re;lects a diverse and educated population, with a high median household income and a large share of residents employed in creative industries, technology, healthcare, education, and tourism.
Santa Monica was incorporated as a City on November 30, 1886, and is one of the older municipalities in Los Angeles County. In 1945, the City adopted a charter and in 1947 established a City Council-City Manager form of government, which remains the core of its municipal governance. The Santa Monica City Council is made up of seven members elected at-large for staggered four-year terms. Every two years, after each election, the City Council selects one of its members to serve as Mayor and another to serve as Mayor Pro Tempore.
The City Council serves as the central legislative jurisdictional authority for City policies and regulations.
As a full-service city, Santa Monica provides a full range of municipal services. These include public safety through the SMPD and SMFD, water and wastewater utilities, street maintenance, refuse and recycling, planning and building services, parks and recreation, libraries, and economic development. The City also operates regional transportation services such as the Big Blue Bus, supports affordable housing programs, provides digital infrastructure such as free public Wi-Fi, and manages cultural and community programs.
Education is served locally by the Santa Monica-Malibu Uni;ied School District and Santa Monica College within the City, while county and private entities ful;ill other social, health, and judicial functions.
1 United States Census Bureau, Quick Facts. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/santamonicacitycalifornia/PST040224#PST040224 Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 8 Map 1: City of Santa Monica Jurisdiction
Agencies and Stakeholders
The City of Santa Monica consists of 12 internal departments that include 64 speci;ic divisions. During the Palisades Fire, nearly all City departments were impacted in some manner. Nine departments plus the City Manager’s and City Attorney’s Of;ices were represented in the EOC while other departments including Police, Fire, Public Works, and the Santa Monica Department of Transportation (SaMoDOT) had additional personnel operating throughout the City, as well as directly interacting with the Incident Management Team at the ICP or assigned to the incident directly. Although several City departments did not have representation in the EOC and were not immediately impacted by the Palisades Fire, they were actively involved in policy group support, making operational adjustments to their own standard department functions and recovery activities, and supporting team members who were directly impacted by the Palisades Fire.
Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 9 Of8ice of Emergency Management
At the time of the Palisades Fire, OEM was a function of the Santa Monica City Manager’s Of;ice with the primary responsibility of providing emergency management and public safety dispatching for the City. As the emergency management department, OEM is responsible for coordinating the mitigation of, preparedness for, response to, and recovery from emergencies and disasters that threaten life, property, the environment, and the continuity of government.
It serves as the central authority that aligns City departments, external partners, and elected of;icials under a common framework to ensure timely decision making, effective resource management, accurate public information, and sustained operational continuity across all hazards.
During the initial response to the Palisades Fire, OEM faced staf;ing constraints due to the prolonged vacancy of the Emergency Services Administrator position. Because the Chief Resilience Of;icer also manages the public safety dispatch center, the City of Santa Monica has the equivalent of 1.5 emergency managers when fully staffed. This staf;ing gap limits the Of;ice’s ability to manage planning, preparedness, and mitigation efforts while actively involved in response and recovery mode. This incident reinforced the need for a staf;ing needs assessment as recommended in the 2023 Emergency Management Program Gap Analysis to identify gaps in staf;ing capacity, succession planning and staf;ing continuity within the emergency management function. Since the Palisades Fire, OEM ;illed the Emergency Services Administrator vacancy and is fully staffed, based upon its current staf;ing structure.
City of Santa Monica OEM Organizational Chart on January 7, 2025 Effective December 28, 2025, the City of Santa Monica implemented an organizational realignment that transitioned OEM from the City Manager’s Of;ice to SMPD. As part of this change, the function was redesignated as the Emergency Management Department (EMD) and placed under the administrative oversight of the Deputy Police Chief.
City Manager’s Office
Chief Resilience
Officer
Emergency Services
Administrator
(Vacant)
Admin Staff
Assistant
Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 10 Emergency Operations Center
On Monday, January 6, 2025, personnel
from OEM attended a brie;ing by the NWS
regarding the issuance of a Red Flag and PDS
weather event that was anticipated to
impact nearly all of Southern California. The
information obtained was disseminated by
OEM to department heads and managers
throughout the City. Additionally, OEM
coordinated with other local cities, the Los
Angeles Emergency Management
Department (LA City EMD), and Los Angeles
County OEM to facilitate the release of
public messaging. Santa Monica OEM
utilized its social media platforms as well as
a SMAlerts text and email to advise the public of the impending conditions.
On January 7, 2025, as the smoke rose from the Santa Monica Mountains, City staff began to gather in the EOC. Shortly thereafter, the decision was made by City leadership in consultation with OEM staff to activate the EOC. This decision was due to the ;ire’s proximity to the City, the extreme Red Flag weather conditions, the potential for rapid ;ire spread into densely populated areas, the knowledge of previous ;ire history in the Malibu Canyon region, and the potential impact to the City due to it being the primary evacuation route out of the impacted areas. Forecasted Santa Ana winds, low relative humidity levels, and volatile ;ire behavior signi;icantly increased the risk of escalation, necessitating early activation to ensure that the City could quickly transition from a position of monitoring to a coordinated response if conditions warranted.
Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 11 Graphic 1: Palisades Fire EOC Org Chart. Information obtained from City of Santa Monica OEM Early EOC activation allowed the City to establish a centralized coordination structure before impacts reached the City, rather than reacting after conditions deteriorated. This proactive approach supported the development of a common operating picture across City departments, allowing City leadership to assess the evolving threat to the community, evaluate City readiness levels, and make timely policy decisions related to emergency declarations, curfews, and evacuation preparedness. The decision to activate the EOC also enhanced interdepartmental coordination. Departments were able to coordinate and communicate through a structured EOC framework to align priorities, share information, and make contingency plans that included evacuation support and the management of additional impacts, such as air quality degradation and citywide transportation disruptions.
Additionally, the early EOC activation facilitated effective regional coordination and public information efforts. OEM and EOC staff maintained communications with the City of Los Liaison Officer
Community
Development
Legal Officer
City Attorney’s Office
Water Resources
Public Works
Plans Section
Chief
Library
Logistics Section
Chief
Public Works
Public Works
Branch
Public Works
Law Branch
SMPD
Operations
Section Chief
SMFD
Safety Officer
Finance
Public Information
Officer
City Manager’s Office
Transportation
Public Works
Ground
Support/Staging
SMFD
SMPD
Recreation & Arts
GIS Mapping
Information Services
Debris Removal
Public Works
Finance Section
Chief
Finance
Facilities
Public Works
City Council
Cost Recovery
Finance
Care & Shelter
Recreation & Arts
American Red Cross
(Remote)
EOC Coordinator
City Manager’s Office
Joint Info Center
City Manager’s Office
Council Liaison
City Manager’s Office
EOC Director
City Manager’s Office
Policy Group Director
of Emergency
Services
City Manager’s Office
Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 12 Angeles, Los Angeles County, Cal OES, CAL FIRE, and neighboring jurisdictions to ensure consistent response actions and messaging throughout the incident. Maintaining the communications function within the EOC ensured that public messaging was timely, accurate, and consistent.
Picture 1: EOC Staff Discussion. Photo Credit: City of Santa Monica The EOC was initially activated on the morning of Wednesday, January 7, 2025, and was demobilized on the afternoon of Saturday, January 18, 2025, following the removal of all City evacuation zones from evacuation order and warning status.
EOC Activation Status
Date Time Activation Level Staf2ing
Jan. 7, 2025 Afternoon Level 2-Moderate In-person
Jan. 8, 2025 0200 Level 2-Moderate Duty Of;icer
0800 Level 2-Moderate In-person
2300 Level 2-Moderate Duty Of;icer
Jan.9, 2025 0700 Level 2-Moderate In-person
2300 Level 2-Moderate Duty Of;icer
Jan. 10, 2025 0900 Level 2-Moderate In-person
1900 Level 2-Moderate Duty Of;icer
Jan. 11, 2025 0900 Level 2-Moderate Remote
1900 Level 2-Moderate Duty Of;icer
Jan. 12, 2025 0900 Level 2-Moderate Remote
1900 Level 2-Moderate Duty Of;icer
Jan. 13, 2025 0700 Level 2-Moderate In-person
Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 13 1900 Level 2-Moderate Duty Of;icer
Jan. 14, 2025 0700 Level 2-Moderate In-person
1900 Level 2-Moderate Duty Of;icer
Jan. 15, 2025 0700 Level 2-Moderate In-person
1900 Level 2-Moderate Duty Of;icer
Jan.16, 2025 0700 Level 3-Monitoring Remote
1700 Level 3-Monitoring Duty Of;icer
Jan. 17, 2025 0700 Level 3-Monitoring Remote
1700 Level 3-Monitoring Duty Of;icer
Jan. 18, 2025 0700 Level 3-Monitoring Remote
1200 Level 3-Monitoring EOC Demobilized
Graphic 2: EOC Activation dates, level, and hours.
Law Enforcement
During the entirety of the Palisades Fire, SMPD personnel ;illed roles within the EOC, staffed a stand-alone SMPD ;ield command post to direct and oversee all responses, maintained ongoing citywide patrols, and responded to 911 calls. SMPD personnel staffed traf;ic control points and maintained a constant presence in impacted evacuation zones to assist in safely evacuating residents and patrolling to minimize the threat to evacuated property owners from potential looters. A January 10, 2025, press release advised, “the 330th Military Police, part of the Law Enforcement Branch of the
California National Guard, are stationed at
traf;ic control points around the City of Santa
Monica to ensure the safety of the
surrounding community.”
National Guard members augmented SMPD
Traf;ic Services bureau staf;ing at the
designated traf;ic control points. In addition
to utilizing the assistance provided by the
California National Guard, SMPD coordinated
with the California Highway Patrol (CHP), the
California Department of Transportation
(Caltrans), and utilized the mutual aid system
to request additional local assistance.
Between January 7 and January 9,
approximately 22 personnel from Beverly
Hills, Culver City, Hawthorne, and Redondo
Beach Police Departments provided patrols
and additional response capabilities in the
City of Santa Monica.
Picture 2: National Guard operating at trafLic
checkpoint. Photo Credit: City of Santa Monica
Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 14 On January 8, 2025, City of;icials declared the existence of a local emergency that included an evacuation zone curfew between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. This curfew order applied to 7,428 households in the City.
The curfew provided an additional tool for the SMPD to maintain security within the evacuated areas of the City by allowing of;icers to stop and question any unauthorized individuals within the evacuation areas. On January 10, the LA County Sherrif’s Department implemented a curfew order for all Los Angeles County evacuation order zones. With this curfew in place, the City of Santa Monica promptly amended its order to fully align with the County order. This amended order reduced the number of impacted households to 2,205.
According to a SMPD press release, hundreds of individuals were detained and questioned and over 40 were arrested.
Fire Department
According to Santa Monica Fire Department (SMFD) command personnel, SMFD does not have a speci;ic policy regarding upstaf;ing for inclement weather conditions including Red Flag Warnings; however, due to the extreme nature of the predicted weather pattern that the National Weather Service (NWS) identi;ied as a potentially life-threatening event—known as a Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS)—the decision was made to staff two additional Type I ;ire engines on the morning of January 7, 2025. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), “PDS wording is used in rare situations when long-lived, strong and violent tornadoes are possible. This enhanced wording may also accompany severe thunderstorm watches for intense convective windstorms.”2 Immediately following the initial noti;ication of the Palisades Fire SMFD, in coordination with the other Los Angeles County Disaster Management Area “A” agencies, SMFD responded to the Palisades Fire as part of Strike Team 1075-A. Strike Team 1075-A was requested at 10:52 a.m. and was on scene in the Palisades by 11:23 a.m. By 1:00 p.m., SMFD had recalled suf;icient personnel to maintain full staf;ing in the City and to assemble a task force that operated within the City limits. This task force responded to spot ;ires, responded to smoke and potential ;ire calls in the high vegetation areas, patrolled the northernmost area of the City looking for embers and ;ire spread, and worked closely with ;ire units assigned to the southern edge of the Palisades Fire.
The task force consisted of a Task Force Leader with an assigned Fire Captain, Truck 2, 2- Type I Fire Engines, and 1-Type VI wildland ;ire apparatus. Overhead staff, including the Fire Chief and one Deputy Chief, were primarily assigned to the IMT as agency representatives.
Having these individuals work closely with the IMT at the ICP proved to be a valuable means for the EOC to maintain current situational awareness.
2 NOAA’s National Weather Service-Glossary. Retrieved from https://forecast.weather.gov/glossary.php?word=PDS
Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 15 Public Works
Fortunately, the Palisades Fire
did not reach the Santa Monica
City limits. Maps indicate that
the closest spot ;ire was
approximately 0.4 miles north
of the City limits. Even though
the City did not sustain any
direct ;ire damage, signi;icant
damage was noted throughout
the area due to the extreme
straight-line winds. According
to a City damage assessment,
there were 178 tree branch or
whole-tree failures, and
approximately 445 tons of
debris had to be removed from streets, sidewalks, storm drains, and beaches throughout the City. Multiple Public Works divisions, working with outside vendors, spent extensive hours removing debris. Crews prioritized evacuation zones to ensure safe egress and to support residents’ safe return once evacuation orders were lifted. In addition to the debris, downed trees also damaged several sections of sidewalk and chain link fencing at Memorial Park.
Proving that relationships with outside agencies are bene;icial, SMFD was able to coordinate with CAL FIRE Incident Management Team 2 to utilize multiple hand crews to perform long overdue vegetation management in the Bluffs along PCH. These crews, with assistance from Caltrans, spent January 15 and 16 cutting and removing over 85 tons of trees, overgrowth and other debris to proactively reduce the threat of wild;ire spreading into this essential route. Public Works hauled all debris to approved recycling facilities. According to Public Works of;icials, this area along PCH had not been cleaned in years and this work potentially saved the City several hundred thousand dollars.
Picture 3: Tree damage. Photo Credit: City of Santa Monica Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 16 Picture 4: PCH Bluffs cleanup efforts by CAL FIRE and Santa Monica Public Works.
Photo Credit: City of Santa Monica
Transportation
SaMoDOT, which operates the City’s public transportation system known as the Big Blue Bus, was immediately impacted by the Palisades Fire. The Big Blue Bus implemented temporary detours to several lines including lines 18 and 43 that operated through or immediately adjacent to evacuation zones. To assist residents impacted by evacuations, Big Blue Bus, through the EOC, provided evacuees transportation to the West LA Red Cross evacuation shelter at designated pick-up locations within the Santa Monica evacuation zones and also facilitated pick-ups at senior housing facilities. All impacted Big Blue Bus routes resumed normal operations as the evacuation warnings and orders were lifted.
Route 9 and Route 9 Express, which provide riders with direct access into the Palisades, were more greatly impacted. At the onset of the ;ire, operators made immediate adjustments to the routes because of the evacuation-related gridlock on Sunset Boulevard. As noted in many reports, some residents abandoned their vehicles on the road and walked due to impassable conditions. Some of these individuals were able to access the Big Blue Bus and safely evacuate the area. According to SaMoDOT of;icials, Route 9 Express was not transporting riders to Palisades High School on January 7 due to a school closure, otherwise additional buses may have become involved in evacuation congestion. According to SaMoDOT, Route 9 resumed normal operations on August 10, 2025, while Route 9 Express was out of service until January 27, 2026.
Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 17 Picture 5: Santa Monica Department of Transportation Big Blue Bus In addition to modifying several Big Blue Bus routes, SaMoDOT provided incident support by allowing mutual aid ;ire resources to utilize its bus storage yard as an incident staging location, and by utilizing transportation department mechanics to provide maintenance and repairs for ;ire apparatus during the event. These actions allowed for apparatus and ;ire;ighting personnel to remain in service and tactically involved with ;ire;ighting operations.
Incident Overview
Weather
On the morning of January 7, 2025, Southern California was bracing for extreme weather conditions. As early as December 31, 2024, NWS had advised of the potential for a Santa Ana wind-driven Fire Weather Watch for the area, and anticipating a Red Flag Warning beginning on January 7 and lasting through January 9, 2025. According to NWS, a Red Flag Warning is issued either during or up to 24 hours prior to an event where the combination of dry fuels and weather conditions support extreme ;ire conditions. Speci;ic criteria required for a Red Flag warning to be issued, as de;ined by NWS for Southern California include:
• Relative humidity of 15 percent or less with either sustained winds of 25 mph or greater or frequent gusts 35 mph or greater for a duration of 6 hours or more. • Relative humidity of 10 percent or less with either sustained winds 15 mph or greater or frequent gusts 25 mph or greater for a duration of 6 hours or more.
Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 18 • Widespread and/or signi;icant dry lightning.
• Other (forecaster discretion) – unusual but signi;icant meteorological and or fuel conditions in coordination with the Geographic Area Coordination Center (GACC) or local agency.3
On January 2, 2025, NWS once again advised of the potential for a moderate to strong Santa Ana event with extreme ;ire weather conditions between January 6 and January 9, 2025. On January 6, 2025, NWS issued an of;icial Red Flag Warning for nearly all of Southern California from San Luis Obispo to the Mexico border. Following the previous advisories, on the morning of January 6, 2025, NWS updated its forecast to include the potentially lifethreatening event known as a Particularly Dangerous Situation (PDS). NOAA states, “PDS wording is used in rare situations when long-lived, strong and violent tornadoes are possible.
This enhanced wording may also accompany severe thunderstorm watches for intense convective windstorms.”4
Winds in the areas of the Malibu coast, Santa Monica Mountains, and in the San Gabriel, San Fernando, and Santa Clarita Valleys were forecasted to be between 60-80 mph (97-129 km/h), with gusts anticipated to reach 90 mph (140 km/h) or greater. These extreme winds were anticipated to impact areas of Southern California that had just experienced extreme weather swings of wet and dry conditions. During the past several years, this area has experienced what some weather observers have termed “weather whiplash.” Two consecutive rainy winters that boosted vegetation growth followed by extremely dry, nearzero rainfall conditions over the previous eight months—in addition an extremely strong Santa Ana wind event—made for extremely ;ire-friendly climate conditions that set the stage for the January 2025 ;ires.
Ignition
On the morning of January 7, 2025, at 10:20 a.m., a camera operated by AlertCalifornia observed the ;irst signs of smoke in the Santa Monica Mountains near Temescal Trailhead 1 adjacent to the 8-acre burn scar left by the January 1, 2025, Lachman Fire. By 10:30 a.m., LAFD had received multiple 911 calls advising of the same. The Palisades Fire rapidly grew, pushed by increasingly high wind speeds and highly variable wind directions. The winds continued to worsen throughout the day, reaching 60-80 mph (97-129 km/h) with gusts up to 100 mph (161 km/h), severely impacting the ability to extinguish the wild;ire. Air resources including ;ixed-wing retardant tankers, Super-Scoopers, and helicopters assisted in the ;ire;ighting efforts but were eventually grounded due to the extreme wind conditions. 3 NOAA DeLinitions of a Fire Weather Watch and a Red Flag Warning. Retrieved from https://www.weather.gov/media/lox/LOX-Red-Flag-Criteria.pdf 4 NOAA Glossary. Retrieved from https://forecast.weather.gov/glossary.php?word=WATCH Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 19 Within one hour, CAL FIRE reported that the ;ire, pushed by hurricane-force winds, had grown to 200 acres, destroying homes, cars, and everything in its path. Over the next days and weeks, as weather conditions became more favorable, ;ire crews continued to gain control of the Palisades Fire. On the evening of January 31, 2025, the ;ire was declared 100 percent contained. The Palisades Fire burned 23,448 acres, destroyed 6,833 structures, damaged 973 structures, killed 12 civilians, and injured one ;ire;ighter and three civilians, making it the tenth deadliest and third most destructive California wild;ire on record, and the most destructive to occur in the City of Los Angeles. Cause and origin investigators with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), along with local ;ire and police investigators, have determined that the Palisades Fire was a “holdover” ;ire, a continuation of the Lachman Fire which was suppressed by ;ire;ighters on January 1, 2025, but continued to smolder within the root structure of dense vegetation before reigniting amid ;ierce Santa Ana winds on the morning of January 7, 2025. Investigators determined that the Lachman Fire was intentionally set, and on October 7, 2025, arrested and charged Jonathan Rinderknecht with multiple counts of destruction of property by means of ;ire for intentionally setting the initial ;ire that eventually caused the Palisades Fire.
Evacuation
As the Palisades Fire rapidly grew from
ignition to over 200 acres in the ;irst hour,
pushed by hurricane-force winds in an
area known for steep terrain, dry
overgrown brush, and narrow winding
roads, the Incident Management Team
(IMT) determined that getting ;ire
suppression resources into the area and
residents out of the area was going to be a
dif;icult process. Traf;ic on Sunset
Boulevard and PCH quickly became
inundated with vehicles and pedestrians
trying to leave the area. At one point,
bulldozers had to be utilized to push
abandoned vehicles out of the road to
allow for incoming ;ire units.
According to Cal Fire Status Update Reports, on January 7, 2025, at 11:49 a.m., the ;irst Evacuation Warning was issued followed by the establishment of the initial Evacuation Order for the “;ire area all the way down to Paci;ic Coast Highway” at 12:00 p.m. By 12:37 p.m., the large Evacuation Zone that abuts the City limits of Santa Monica at Adelaide Drive, LOS- Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 20 Q0767, had been placed on Evacuation Orders. This evacuation order came with the advisory “leave now.” Prior to the of;icial evacuation orders being issued many residents in the Palisades had been advised to evacuate the area by ;irst responders.
Due to evacuation orders reaching the Santa Monica City limits, by midafternoon EOC staff began drafting contingency plans for implementing evacuation orders within the City. At the time of the Palisades Fire, LA County was in the process of ;inalizing speci;ic evacuation zones to be included in the Genasys Protect public safety platform, but the zones had not yet been ;inalized or adopted. The evacuation zones utilized during the Palisades Fire were created by the EOC team in coordination with SMPD, SMFD, the IMT, and the LA County EOC.
At 7:24 p.m., representatives from Santa Monica OEM, SMPD, SMFD determined that it was necessary to implement an Evacuation Order for the northernmost areas of the city. The ;irst evacuation zones within the Santa Monica City limits were placed on Evacuation Orders.
Identi;ied as Evacuation Zones SAN-Q1395-B and SAN-Q1396-B, these zones encompassed the area north of San Vicente Boulevard to Adelaide Drive extending from the Paci;ic Ocean east to 26th Street. Residents living in these zones were advised to leave the area immediately due to an imminent threat to both life and property. Concurrently, the two zones located immediately to the south, zones SAN-Q1388-B (originally identi;ied as SAN-Q1395- A) and SAN-Q1396-A were included in evacuation warnings. These warnings included the area bounded by Montana Avenue to the south, the Paci;ic Ocean to the west, and 26th Street to the east. Emergency messaging advising residents of the Evacuation Orders and Warnings were issued in both English and Spanish through multiple channels including SMAlerts to all registered users, a Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) to all cell phones located within the geographic boundaries of the Evacuation Order and Warning zones, social media platforms, and the City’s website.
On Wednesday, January 8, 2025, as the ;ire continued to progress, numerous evacuation zones throughout the entire region were included in the Evacuation Warnings and multiple zones were modi;ied from Warning to Orders. At 2:30 p.m., Santa Monica zone SAN-Q1396- A was upgraded from Evacuation Warning to Evacuation Orders. This included the area of Montana Ave north to San Vicente Blvd and the Paci;ic Ocean to 11th St. By upgrading this zone from a Warning to an Order, the City opted to place Zone SAN-Q1389 on Evacuation Warning status. This additional zone runs from Wilshire Blvd north to Montana Ave and from the Paci;ic Ocean to 10th St. City of Santa Monica staff advised that this zone did not appear to be in any danger, but due to the adjacent zone having been upgraded to Evacuation Orders it was their determination, based upon earlier direction from Cal Fire to not have zone SANQ1396-A abut a zone that was not on Evacuation Warning status. The SMAlerts and City press release advised:
Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 21 “The evacuation warning has been expanded to all areas north of Wilshire Boulevard and west of 10th Street. Residents in this area should gather essentials and prepare to leave if needed. Those who require additional time to evacuate should leave now.” Evacuation zone SAN-Q1389 was ultimately never upgraded to an Evacuation Order and remained in Evacuation Warning status until Friday, January 10, 2025, at 3:22 p.m., when the evacuation warning was of;icially lifted.
Map 2: Provided by the City of Santa Monica OEM
Air Quality
During a wild;ire event similar to the January 2025 Palisades Fire, air quality in the immediate area and surrounding communities can be greatly impacted. Exposure to wild;ire smoke poses respiratory and cardiovascular risks, ranging from short-term effects such as coughing and eye irritation to long-term conditions including heart or lung disease and, in severe cases, premature death. The smoke contains hazardous pollutants including ;ine particles known to researchers as PM2.5. These particles impact what is known as the Air Evacuation order
Evacuation warning
Evacuation warning
Palisades Fire_Maximum Santa Monica Evacuation Zones_01.08.25 Esri, NASA, NGA, USGS, FEMA, Sources: Esri, TomTom, Garmin, FAO, NOAA, USGS, © OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS User Community Road Closures
City Boundary
Palisades Fire Evacuation Zones_phases - PalisadesFireEvacuationZone 1 8 25 1430 maximum evac order Evacuation order
Evacuation warning
World_Hillshade
5/28/2025 0 0.3 0.6 1.2 mi
0 0.5 1 2 km
1:44,485
Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 22 Quality Index (AQI). AQI is a system used to report on how clean or polluted the air is in a given area. The AQI is scored on a scale of 0 to 500 with higher scores representing worse air quality and greater health concerns. The scale is divided into six color-coded categories ranging from “Good” to “Hazardous” to help the public quickly understand the current air quality conditions and the potential health impacts.
Air Quality Index
Pollutant Speci2ic Cautionary Statements
Health
Category Ozone
Very Small
Particles
(PM2.5)
Small Particles
(PM10)
Carbon
Monoxide (CO)
Very
Unhealthy
(201 to 300)
Active children and
adults, and people
with respiratory
disease, such as
asthma, should avoid
all outdoor exertion;
everyone else,
especially children,
should limit outdoor
exertion.
People with
respiratory or heart
disease, the elderly,
and children should
avoid any outdoor
activity; everyone else
should avoid
prolonged exertion.
People with
respiratory disease,
such as asthma,
should avoid any
activity; everyone else,
especially the elderly
and children, should
limit outdoor exertion.
People with
cardiovascular
disease, such as
angina, should avoid
exertion and sources
of CO, such as heavy
traf>ic.
Unhealthy
(151 to 200)
Active children and
adults, and people
with respiratory
disease, such as
asthma, should avoid
prolonged outdoor
exertion; everyone
else, especially
children, should limit
prolonged outdoor
exertion.
People with
respiratory or heart
disease, the elderly
and children should
avoid prolonged
exertion; everyone
else should limit
prolonged exertion.
People with
respiratory disease,
such as asthma,
should avoid outdoor
exertion; everyone
else, especially the
elderly and children,
should limit
prolonged outdoor
exertion.
People with
cardiovascular
disease, such as
angina, should limit
moderate exertion
and avoid sources of
CO, such as heavy
traf>ic.
Unhealthy
for Sensitive
Groups (101
to 150)
Active children and
adults, and people
with respiratory
disease, such as
asthma, should limit
prolonged outdoor
exertion.
People with
respiratory or heart
disease, the elderly
and children should
limit prolonged
exertion.
People with
respiratory disease,
such as asthma,
should limit outdoor
exertion.
People with
cardiovascular
disease, such as
angina, should limit
heavy exertion and
avoid sources of CO,
such as heavy traf>ic.
Moderate
(51 to 100)
Unusually sensitive
people should
consider limiting
prolonged outdoor
exertion.
None None None
Good
(0 to 50)
None None None None
Graphic 3: Air Quality Index. Retrieved from South Coast Air Quality Management District https://www.aqmd.gov/docs/default-source/students/air-quality-index-airpollution-affects-everyone.pdf Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 23 Primary responsibility for ongoing air quality monitoring in the Southern California region belongs to the South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD). The South Coast AQMD is the air pollution control agency for all of Orange County and the urban portions of Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties. The mission of the South Coast AQMD is:
“To clean the air and protect the health of all residents in the South Coast Air District through practical and innovative strategies.”
In addition to the air quality monitoring completed by the South Coast AQMD, the City of Santa Monica also uses data from AirNow.gov and approximately 35-40 PurpleAir sensors to collect neighborhood-speci;ic, real-time air quality data and share it with the public.
The South Coast AQMD issued its ;irst Smoke Advisory for Northwest Los Angeles County due to the Palisades Fire on Tuesday, January 7, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. The advisory forecasted AQI levels potentially reaching Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (101-150) in the local area beginning Wednesday morning and extending through the afternoon. Daily Smoke Advisories were issued by the South Coast AQMD through January 14, 2025, when the AQI reached Good to Moderate levels due to decreased smoke production. As smoke production from the Palisades Fire decreased and the air quality in the region returned to Good and Moderate levels, the South Coast AQMD transitioned their advisories from smoke advisories to windblown ash advisories and monitoring.
On January 31, 2025, the AQMD expanded its air monitoring in the region by deploying two mobile monitors with additional stationary monitors installed in the area. Increased air monitoring continued in the region throughout the cleanup process and results were issued on a weekly basis until July 11, 2025. Results of the air monitoring showed air quality levels below the Federal standards throughout the cleanup process. Utilizing data obtained from community-based PurpleAir sensors and Airnow.gov, the City of Santa Monica provided multiple updates to the community through its SMAlerts system, social media outlets, press releases, and its Palisades Fire website regarding air quality issues. On January 8, 2025, the City utilized its social media platforms to advise that air quality levels ranged from Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups (Orange 101-150) levels on the west side of the City to Moderate (Yellow 51-100) levels on the east side of the City. On January 9, 2025, at 1:05 p.m., following a change in wind direction, the City updated the air quality noti;ication advising that air quality had reached Unhealthy (Red 151-200) throughout parts of the City. Included in the advisories was the following information:
Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 24 “If you are in a sensitive group, please take precautionary measures by: Staying indoors, reducing unnecessary travel, wearing an N95 mask if outdoors. View air quality map at AQMD.gov.”
Maps 3 & 4: Air Quality Jan. 7-Jan 10, 2025. Retrieved from South Coast Air Quality Management District
Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 25 Palisades Fire Incident Sequence of
SigniBicant Incidents
Tuesday, December 31, 2025
9:21 a.m. NWS Santa Ana wind forecast beginning 01/06/2025 Thursday, January 2, 2025
6:26 p.m. NWS advises of potential Red Flag conditions and damaging winds between 1/7/25 and 1/9/25
1:32 p.m.
NWS issues Red Flag Warning beginning Tuesday,
January 7 through Thursday, January 9, 2025
9:21 a.m. NWS Santa Ana wind forecast beginning 01/06/2025 Sunday, January 5, 2025
Monday, January 6, 2025
Tuesday, January 7, 2025
10:20 a.m. AlertCalifornia camera observes Nirst smoke
11:06 a.m. LAFD reports Nire at 10 acres
11:44 a.m. First Evacuation Warnings issues. (200 acres) 1:00 p.m. Wind gusts reported to 57 mph
2:27 p.m. Evacuation center opened at Westwood Recreation Center
12:37 p.m.
Evacuation Order issued for zone LOS-Q0767 to Santa
Monica City limits
Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 26 3:34 p.m. UniNied Command established: LAFD, LACoFD & LAPD. (1,262 acres)
5:15 p.m. Evacuation Orders issued for Topanga west of Tuna Canyon Rd. “Leave Now”
6:45 p.m. Aircraft grounded due to high winds
7:00 p.m. Wind gusts to 69 mph
7:56 p.m. LAFD: LA City evacuation Order issued for PaciNic Palisades
2:27 p.m. Evacuation center opened at Westwood Recreation Center
8:00 p.m. Wind gusts to 83 mph
7:24 p.m.
Evacuation Orders issued for Santa Monica:
SAN-Q1395-B & SAN-Q-1396-B.
Evacuation Warnings issued for Santa Monica:
SAN-Q1388-B & SAN-Q1396-A
4:06 p.m. CAL FIRE IMT II activated
8:35 p.m. 2nd Evacuation Center opened at El Camino Real Charter High School
9:00 p.m. Wind gusts to 79 mph
10:00 p.m. Wind gusts to 88 mph
Wednesday, January 8, 2025
12:00 a.m. Wind gusts to 86 mph
8:24 a.m. 3rd Evacuation Center opened at Pasadena Convention Ctr. 9:01 a.m. Air operations to restart
11:45 a.m. Fire has burned 11,802 acres
City of Los Angeles Declares Local Emergency
LA County proclaims the existence of a Local Emergency
California issues Proclama:on of a State of Emergency
FEMA approves Fire Management Assistance Grant (FMAG)
Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 27 1:20 p.m. Fire has burned 15,832 acres
2:30 p.m.
SAN-Q1396-A moved from Evacuation Warning to
Order Evacuation Warning issued for SAN-Q1389
11:10 p.m. Fire has burned 17,234 acres
Thursday, January 9, 2025
6:45 p.m. Fire has burned 19,978 acres: 6% containment Friday, January 10, 2025
7:49 a.m. Fire has burned 20,438 acres: 8% containment 3:22 p.m.
SAN-Q1396-A moved from Evacuation Orders to
Warning SAN-Q1389 removed from Evacuation
Warning
3:37 p.m. Fire has burned 21,317 acres
Saturday, January 11, 2025
4:37 p.m. Fire has burned 23,654 acres: 11% containment Sunday, January 12, 2025
6:54 p.m. Fire has burned 23,713 acres: 13% containment Santa Monica Declares the Existence of a Local Emergency includes City Curfew Order
President Biden approves California Major Disaster
Declara:on
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors issues Curfew
Order
Santa Monica modiNies existing Curfew Order to align
with LA County order
Los Angeles County Health OfNicer declares a local health emergency due to hazardous air quality
Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 28 Monday, January 13, 2025
8:00 a.m.
SAN-Q1396-B & SAN-Q1395-B removed from
Evacuation Orders and placed on Evacuation
Warnings. SAN-Q1396-A & SAN-Q1388-B removed
from Evacuation Warning.
Saturday, January 18, 2025
12:00 p.m. SAN-Q1396-B & SAN-Q1395-B removed from
Evacuation Warnings
12:00 p.m. Fire has burned 23,713 acres: 43% containment Saturday, January 18, 2025
12:00 p.m.
CAL FIRE Status Report Incident Data:
23,448 acres
100% containment
6,833 structures destroyed
973 structures damaged
0 NireNighter fatalities
12 civilian fatalities
1 NireNighter injury
3 civilian injuries
Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 29 Key Decision Points & Actions Taken
City of Santa Monica
Actions Taken During 2025 Palisades Fire
Monday, January 6,
2025
1:00 p.m.
OEM attends brieNing with NWS regarding dangerous
weather conditions. Distributes information to key
personnel/Departments, Area A, LA City EMD, and LA
Co EMD
2:30 p.m.
Social Media post advising Red Flag Warning and High
Wind Warning
City of Santa Monica uses SMAlerts to registered users, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter/X, and its own website
for social media notices
Tuesday, January 7,
2025
10:20
a.m.
AlertCalifornia camera observes Nirst smoke
10:27
a.m.
Santa Monica Dispatch receives Nirst call reporting
smoke in the Santa Monica Mountains
10:30
a.m. Initial reports of Palisades Fire
10:52
a.m.
LAFD requests mutual aid from Santa Monica Fire
Department
11:00
a.m.
City staff begin to gather in EOC.
EOC activated to Level 2-Moderate
11:23
a.m.
SMFD on scene of Palisades Fire
SMPD TrafNic Services Division implements
TrafNic Services Functional Brush Fire Evacuation Plan
Closures include:
I-10 Fwy. westbound at 4th St on to PCH
Moomat Ahiko & CA Incline on ramps on to PCH
Northbound Ocean Ave., 7th St., & 26th St. @ San
Vicente Blvd. to prevent trafNic into LA/Palisades
11:27
a.m.
Social Media post advising City of Santa Monica
monitoring brushNire in PaciNic Palisades
11:48
a.m.
SMAlerts issued advising City of Santa Monica
monitoring brushNire in PaciNic Palisades
12:37
p.m.
Evacuation Orders issued for Zone LOS-Q-0767 (Now
LFD-1097) PaciNic Palisades area south to Adelaide Dr.
(City of Santa Monica northern boundary)
1:34 p.m. SMAlerts/social media issued advising of
Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 30 Westbound I-10 @Lincoln Blvd. & northbound PCH
will be closed until further notice
2:40 p.m. EOC creates incident webpage to communicate
information to the public
2:50 p.m. Social Media post advising there is currently no threat to the City and no evacuation orders in the City
2:58 p.m. SMAlerts/social media post issued advising currently no evacuation orders or warnings within the City
4:00 p.m.
Social media post advising the City is closely
monitoring Nire and working with ICP to assist with
evacuations on PCH
4:30 p.m. EOC developing evacuation protocols
4:40 p.m. Social Media post advising of road closures in the City 6:00 p.m. EOC contacts ICP to coordinate evacuations
7:24 p.m.
SAN-Q1395-B & SAN-Q1396-B placed on Evacuation
Orders
San Vicente Blvd. north to Adelaide Dr.
PaciNic Ocean to 26th St.
SAN-Q1388-B, SAN-Q1395-A, & SAN-Q1396-A
Placed on Evacuation Warning
Montana Ave. to San Vicente Blvd
PaciNic Ocean to 26th St
7:24 p.m. SMAlerts issued advising of updated evacuations 7:33 p.m. The City contacts LACo EM to assist with adding SM Evac Zones to Genasys Protect
8:00 p.m.
Social Media post advising of Evacuation Orders for all areas north of San Vicente Blvd. Advises to
“Leave Now.’ Additional Evacuation Warning issued
for area north of Montana Ave. from PCH to 26th St.
9:13 p.m. Press Release issued regarding evacuation orders and warnings
Wednesday, January
8, 2025
2:00 a.m. EOC transitions to Duty OfNicer status
5:30 a.m. Social media post the City is working with Palisades Fire command post. No changes to evacuation zones
12:14
p.m.
SMAlerts issued advising City continuing to monitor
the Palisades Fire
8:00 a.m. EOC staffed: Level 2-Moderate
SMPD Issues Tactical Alert
10:30
a.m. City evacuation zones remain unchanged
12:14
p.m.
SMAlerts, WEA, social media, and website: Santa
Monica closely monitoring the Palisades Fire. No
changes to evacuation zones
Proclamation of existence of a Local Emergency issued
for the City of Santa Monica includes curfew order
Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 31 2:00 p.m.
Social Media post advising free Big Blue Bus
transportation to the Palisades Fire evacuation center
located at Westwood Recreation Center. Pickup
location at Lincoln Blvd. and Montana Ave.
2:30 p.m.
SAN-Q1396-A Moved from Evacuation Warning to
Evacuation Order.
Montana Ave. north to San Vicente Blvd
PCH to 11th St.
2:30 p.m.
SAN-Q1389 Placed on Evacuation Warning
Wilshire Blvd. north to Montana Ave.
PCH to 10th St.
Warning advised: Those who require additional
time to evacuate and those with pets should leave
now.
2:30 p.m.
Social Media post expanding the evacuation order for
the area north of Montana Ave. and from PCH to 11th
St.
2:31 p.m. SMAlerts issued updating evacuation orders and warnings
7:00 p.m.
Social Media post advising current air quality levels
are ranging from Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups on
the west side of the City to Moderate levels on the east side. If you are in a sensitive group, please take
precautionary measures by: staying indoors and
reducing unnecessary travel, and wearing an N95
mask if outdoors.
City issues Curfew Order for evacuation zones from
6:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
8:56 p.m.
Press Release issued advising of the issuance of an
Emergency Order that includes a sunset to sunrise
curfew for all mandatory evacuation zones
11:00
p.m. EOC transitions to Duty OfNicer
Thursday, January 9,
2025
7:00 a.m. EOC staffed: Level 2-Moderate
7:05 a.m. SMAlerts issued regarding current evacuation zones 1:05 p.m.
SMAlerts issued regarding Air Quality. Current air
quality levels are reaching unhealthy levels in some
parts of the City. Stay indoors to reduce exposure.
4:07 p.m.
SMAlerts issued regarding an erroneous county
evacuation alert that had been issued for areas in the
City outside of the current evacuation zones
11:00
p.m. EOC transitions to Duty OfNicer
Friday, January 10,
2025
9:00 a.m. EOC staffed: Level 2-Moderate
Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 32 10:43
a.m.
Press Release issued advising that California National
Guard personnel will be manning trafNic control points
in the City
City curfew order amended to align with LA County
curfew order
3:01 p.m. Press Release issued updating evacuation zone orders and warnings
3:16 p.m.
Social Media post advising the evacuation warning had
been lifted for the area of Wilshire Blvd. north to
Montana Ave. and from PCH to 11th St.
3:22 p.m. SMAlerts issued advising updates to evacuation zones 3:22 p.m.
SAN-Q1396-A moved from Evacuation Orders to
Evacuation Warning
Montana Ave. north to San Vicente Blvd. and
PCH to 11th St
SAN-Q1389 removed from Evacuation Warning back to
normal status
Wilshire Blvd. north to Montana Ave.
PCH to 10th St.
7:00 p.m. EOC transitions to Duty OfNicer
Saturday, January 11,
2025
9:00 a.m. EOC activated but staffed remotely: Level 2-Moderate 6:12 p.m. SMAlerts issued advising the NWS had issued a Red Flag Warning through Wednesday, January 15, 2025
6:47 p.m. Press Release issued updating evacuation zone orders and warnings also advising of Red Flag Warning
7:00 p.m. EOC transitions to Duty OfNicer
Sunday, January 12,
2025
9:00 a.m. EOC Activated but staffed remotely: Level 2-Moderate 7:00 p.m. EOC transitions to Duty OfNicer
Monday, January 13,
2025
7:00 a.m. EOC staffed: Level 2-Moderate
8:00 a.m.
SAN-Q1395-B & SAN-Q1396-B moved from evacuation
orders to warnings
San Vicente Blvd. to Adelaide Dr.
PaciNic Ocean to 26th St
SAN-Q1396-A removed from evacuation warning back
to normal status
Montana Ave. north to San Vicente Blvd.
PCH to 11th St.
SAN-Q1395-A removed from evacuation warning back
to normal status
Montana Ave. north to San Vicente Blvd
11th St. to 26th St.
Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 33 8:02 a.m. SMAlerts issued advising evacuation zone updates 8:16 a.m. Press Release issued advising evacuation zone updates 5:08 p.m. Press Release issued advising evacuation zone updates 7:00 p.m. EOC transitions to Duty OfNicer
Tuesday, January 14,
2025
7:00 a.m. EOC activated but staffed remotely: Level 2-Moderate 7:00 p.m. EOC transitions to Duty OfNicer
Wednesday, January
15, 2025
7:00 a.m. EOC activated but staffed remotely: Level 2-Moderate SMPD Rescinds Tactical Alert
Santa Monica Public Works in coordination with State
resources perform debris clearance in Santa Monica
Bluffs along PCH
7:00 p.m. EOC transitions to Duty OfNicer
Thursday, January 16,
2025
7:00 a.m.
EOC activated with decreased staff working remotely:
Level 3-Monitoring
Bluff cleanup completed. Approximately 85 tons of
debris removed.
5:00 p.m. EOC transitions to Duty OfNicer
Friday, January 17,
2025
7:00 a.m. EOC activated with decreased staff working remotely:
Level 3-Monitoring
5:00 p.m. EOC transitions to Duty OfNicer
Saturday, January 18,
2025
7:00 a.m. EOC activated with decreased staff working remotely:
Level 3-Monitoring
Moomat Ahiko and CA Incline onramps to PCH reopen
for local access
12:00
p.m.
SAN-Q1395-B &SAN-Q1396-B both removed from
evacuation warnings back to normal status
San Vicente Blvd. north to Adelaide Dr.
PaciNic Ocean to 26th St.
City rescinds curfew order
12:07
p.m.
SMAlerts issued advising that ALL City evacuation
zones had returned to normal status
EOC demobilized
Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 34 Friday, February 28,
2025
I-10 reopens at 4th & 5th street exits and one lane to
PCH
Friday, May 23, 2025
PCH reopened northbound at Entrada Dr.
Timeline Legend
Date
City Actions
EOC Status Updates
Evacuation Zone Updates
Fire Status Updates
Incident Updates from the City of Santa Monica
(SMAlerts, WEA, Press Release, social media post, City website)
Road Closure Updates
Communications
Internal and External Communications
Internal and external communications were essential to the City of Santa Monica’s ability to maintain situational awareness and operational readiness during the 2025 Palisades Fire.
Although the incident did not directly impact City boundaries, its proximity and regional effects required coordinated information sharing to support decision making, public safety actions, and interagency coordination.
Internally, consistent communications across City departments supported a shared common operating picture and enabled timely policy and operational decisions. Information related to ;ire progression, evacuation activity in adjacent jurisdictions, air quality impacts, and potential escalation scenarios was regularly communicated to City leadership and operational staff through twice daily department head brie;ings. This coordination supported the implementation of emergency orders, curfews, readiness activities, and resource staging, while ensuring City personnel had accurate and consistent information when engaging with the public and partner agencies.
Externally, the City’s communications focused on delivering clear, timely, and accurate information to residents, businesses, and visitors. Public messaging addressed evolving ;ire Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 35 conditions, weather advisories, public safety advisories, curfews, evacuation zone order and warnings, and available resources, helping reduce confusion and misinformation during a rapidly changing regional emergency. Transparent and consistent messaging reinforced public con;idence and demonstrated the City’s preparedness despite the ;ire occurring primarily outside municipal limits.
Additionally, the City played a key role in amplifying information from County and State partners and supporting regional response efforts through public information sharing. These communications aided evacuees, supported ;irst responders, and enhanced regional situational awareness. Overall, effective internal and external communications strengthened operational coordination, supported informed decision-making, and maintained public trust throughout the Palisades Fire incident.
Palisades Fire Communications Team
Role City Department
EOC PIO City Manager’s Of;ice
Media Relations/JIC City Manager’s Of;ice
Social Media City Manager’s Of;ice
Social Media & Website Content Updates City Manager’s Of;ice Everbridge/SMAlerts City Manager’s Of;ice
Everbridge/SMAlerts & Website Content
Updates Information Services Department
Police Department Liaison Santa Monica Police Department Police Department Liaison Santa Monica Police Department Fire Department Liaison Santa Monica Fire Department
Graphic 4: Communications Team StafLing. Information provided by City of Santa Monica OEM.
Recovery Efforts
Following the Palisades Fire, the City of Santa Monica implemented a coordinated recovery effort focused on protecting public health, minimizing environmental impacts, restoring access and economic activity, and supporting regional recovery. Although the City did not sustain direct wild;ire damage, its proximity to severely impacted neighboring communities resulted in prolonged secondary impacts affecting ocean water quality, debris management, transportation, tourism, and business continuity.
Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 36 Environmental Health, Ocean Water Quality, and Beach Recovery A primary recovery priority was addressing wild;ire debris and sediment that entered Santa Monica Bay. Following post-;ire rain events, ash, burned materials, and sediment from upstream burn areas accumulated along regional shorelines and within City storm drains.
The City coordinated closely with Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board (LARWQCB), LA County Beaches & Harbors, and LA County OEM to advocate for expanded environmental testing within the City and transparent public reporting of results. Multiple organizations, including the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project (SCCWRP), LARWQCB, and the Surfrider Foundation L.A. Chapter, conducted water quality and sand sediment monitoring throughout Santa Monica Bay between January 22, 2025, and ending on May 1, 2025. According to test results released by LARWQCB, “the board compared ocean water quality results with U.S.
EPA risk-based screening levels for recreation in water and Ocean Plan objectives for consumption of ;ish and all results were below these standards.” Picture 6: Fire debris on Santa Monica Beach. Photo Credit: City of Santa Monica While awaiting formal health guidance, Santa Monica Public Works implemented interim protective measures, including the construction of sand berms to contain debris in storm channels and prevent secondary contamination. City crews conducted repeated mechanical and hand removal of ;ire-related debris from beaches following storm events. City staff also actively participated in a Joint Information Center (JIC) that was established to disseminate consistent, coordinated messaging regarding beach health and regional recovery efforts. City staff also hosted a town hall with environmental health agencies, and developed a dedicated Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 37 wild;ire recovery webpage to provide clear, consistent information on beach conditions and public safety considerations. According to OEM, ;ire debris stopped washing onto the City beaches by summer 2025.
Debris Removal Coordination
Debris removal from the Paci;ic Palisades and Malibu burn areas had direct recovery implications for the City. The hazardous debris removal phase, led by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), required transportation along key City corridors. The City declined requests to locate hazardous debris staging sites within City limits due to concerns regarding proximity to beaches, residences, and businesses, while maintaining close coordination with Federal and State partners.
Transportation of hazardous and non-hazardous ;ire debris did occur through the City on PCH and Interstate 10. Throughout the debris removal process, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers representatives provided safety brie;ings and maintained liaison support with the City to address community concerns. Hazardous debris removal was substantially completed by February 2025, limiting prolonged environmental risk.
Transportation Impacts and Economic Effects
Transportation disruptions represented one of the most signi;icant indirect impacts to the City’s recovery. Although PCH reopened within the City by late February 2025, the continued closure of the corridor between the City of Santa Monica and Malibu until May 23, 2025, constrained coastal access, commuter travel, and tourism activity. These conditions resulted in a nearly $1 million reduction in coastal parking revenue compared to the previous year and signi;icantly increased commute times for employees, students, and visitors traveling between the City of Santa Monica and the San Fernando Valley.
Business Recovery and Community Support
The City prioritized outreach to businesses impacted by evacuation zones, access restrictions, and public uncertainty related to post-;ire environmental conditions. The City’s EOC Liaison Of;icer maintained regular communication with business organizations, improvement districts, and stakeholders to identify concerns and recovery needs.
The City coordinated with FEMA and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to support local business recovery. FEMA personnel conducted in-person canvassing of City businesses to share information on ;inancial assistance, and the City hosted a community recovery forum on January 28, 2025, to connect businesses with recovery resources and public health guidance. In January 2025, the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce partnered with the SBA to open a Business Recovery Center to allow local businesses a space to meet with SBA specialists to apply for disaster loans and obtain recovery guidance. In April 2025, Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 38 the City facilitated the relocation of the SBA Business Recovery Center into the Santa Monica Main Library.
School Relocation and Community Services
The wild;ire displaced multiple schools in the Paci;ic Palisades, prompting the City to support educational continuity through emergency land-use ;lexibility. Under an Emergency Order and a coordinated multi-departmental effort led by Community Development, ;ive displaced schools relocated to the City by April 2025. The largest relocation involved Palisades Charter High School, which temporarily relocated more than 2,400 students to a former retail facility in downtown Santa Monica.
City departments collaborated extensively to address life safety, transportation, parking, and emergency planning considerations associated with non-traditional school sites. These efforts enabled students to return to in-person learning while also activating vacant commercial space and supporting downtown economic activity.
FEMA Public Assistance and Financial Recovery
Santa Monica OEM led the City’s efforts to document eligible response and recovery costs and pursue FEMA Public Assistance reimbursement. Departments used standardized EOC timekeeping and accounting codes to track labor, contracts, and materials. OEM coordinated closely with Finance and Public Works to assemble required documentation, inspection reports, and proof of payment.
Drawing on prior FEMA reimbursement experience, City staff proactively collected documentation and responded promptly to requests, positioning the City to ef;iciently pursue reimbursement and mitigate long-term ;iscal impacts associated with the Palisades Fire. The following chart identi;ies public assistance projects that the City submitted for FEMA reimbursement and the total that was reimbursed by FEMA following the Palisades Fire.
FEMA Public Assistance Projects
Public Assistance
Project Description Amount Invoiced
Best Available
Reimbursement
Total Amount
Obligated
EOC/ICP
Supply/Resource
Costs
Supply and
Equipment costs for
Emergency
Operations Center
and Incident
Command Post
$72,562.05 $72,562.05 $72,562.05
Wildfire Response
Activities: FD, PD,
DOT, OEM staff
labor costs
City staff overtime
costs to conduct
evacuation order,
curfew order, and
$1,121,904.60 $1,121,904.60 $1,121,904.60
Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 39 wildfire monitoring
activities.
Debris RemovalContract Services
Contracted labor
costs for time spent
clearing large
trees/branches due
to wind event
$202,576.60 $151,932.00 $151,932.00
Debris RemovalCity Staff time
Staff labor costs
spent on clearing
citywide debris due
to wind event
$97,200.80 $72,900.60 $72,900.60
PCH/Bluffs Debris
Removal-City Staff
time
Staff labor costs to
pick up vegetation
cleared by CAL FIRE
from PCH coastal
bluffs for fire
mitigation
$24,177.98 $18,133.49 $18,133.49
Memorial Park
Fence Repair
Repairs of damaged
fencing at baseball
field caused by
downed tree
$59,080.00 $44,310.00 $44,310.00
Total $1,577,502.03 $1,481,742.74 $1,481,742.74
Graphic 7: Information regarding FEMA Public Assistance Project reimbursements provided by the City of Santa Monica
Observations and Recommendations
This AAR analysis is based on structured interviews with City of Santa Monica executive leadership, EOC participants, command staff from the SMFD and SMPD, OEM, Public Works, and elected of;icials. Interview data were supplemented by a review of incident-related operational documentation and publicly available information. The scope of this analysis is limited to actions, coordination, and resource utilization within the City of Santa Monica’s jurisdiction and authority during the 2025 Palisades Fire and does not evaluate the decisionmaking processes, operational performance, or infrastructure capabilities of external agencies beyond those directly supporting City operations.
Observations
Observation 1: SEMS/NIMS Compliance
California Code of Regulations Title 19, § 2401 establishes the Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) based upon the Incident Command System (ICS). ICS was originally developed by the Fire;ighting Resources of California Organized for Potential Emergencies (FIRESCOPE) program. SEMS is intended to standardize responses to emergencies and disasters. Beginning December 1, 1996, the California Emergency Services Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 40 Act required all local government agencies to utilize SEMS in order to be eligible for reimbursement of response-related costs under the State’s disaster assistance programs.
SEMS Organizational Levels and Functions, § 2403 mandates the utilization of SEMS when the following occur:
• When a local emergency, as de;ined in § 8558(c), is declared or proclaimed. • When a local government EOC is activated, communications and coordination shall be established between the Incident Commander(s) and the department operations center(s) to the EOC or between the Incident Commander(s) and the EOC.
Coordination of ;ire and law enforcement resources shall be accomplished through their respective mutual aid systems.
• Communications and coordination shall be established between a local government EOC, when activated, and any state or local emergency response agency having jurisdiction at an incident occurring within that local government's boundaries. • Local government shall use multi-agency or inter-agency coordination to facilitate decisions for overall local government level emergency response activities.
SEMS is the cornerstone of California’s emergency response system and provides the fundamental structure for the response phase of emergency management. The system combines all elements of emergency management into a single integrated system with standardized elements. The key elements of SEMS include:
• Incident Command System (ICS): ICS is a ;ield-level emergency response system based upon management by objectives.
• Multi/Inter-agency coordination: Impacted agencies working together to coordinate resources and emergency response activities.
• Mutual Aid: A system for obtaining additional resources from non-impacted jurisdictions.
City of Santa Monica Plans
To meet the State and Federal response requirements the City of Santa Monia has adopted multiple plans outlining public safety priorities, response operations, and recovery priorities following a disaster. These plans include:
• Emergency Management Program Gap Analysis Plan, February 2023 • City of Santa Monica Local Hazard Mitigation Plan 2025-2030 (Awaiting Cal OES approval)
• SEMS/NIMS Multi Hazard Functional Emergency Plan, Dated 2013 • Crisis Communications Plan, Revised May 2019
• Alert and Warning Policy and Procedures, Dated January 6, 2025 • Traf;ic Services Functional Brush Fire Evacuation Plan, Approved September 22, 2021 Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 41 Due to the ;luid nature of an emergency response, these plans establish priorities for disaster response and recovery. They outline the roles and responsibilities required for establishing and running an EOC leading up to, during, and throughout the recovery phase of an emergency. These plans provide the general strategies allowing for the implementation of SEMS, therefore meeting the State requirement for remaining eligible for response related costs under the State’s disaster assistance programs. In 2023 a thorough assessment was completed evaluating the City’s Emergency Management Department.
The City’s decision to activate the EOC early in the incident supported effective multidepartment coordination and resource management. The EOC functioned as intended under both the SEMS and the National Emergency Management System (NIMS) speci;ically in the areas of coordination, policy support, and information sharing. Prior EOC experience including the COVID-19 pandemic, civil unrest, and planned community events as well as recurring position training for EOC participants signi;icantly enhanced operational performance within the EOC.
Observation #2: Fire Service and Regional Incident Integration SMFD demonstrated forward-leaning emergency preparedness and situational awareness through proactively upstaf;ing the department based upon the NWS Red Flag and PDS advisories, rapid strike team deployment, and the decision to form an in-city task force to patrol the City’s northernmost boundary and prevent potential ;ire spread into the community. Additionally, embedding SMFD command staff into the ICP ensured real-time intelligence ;low and advocacy for City interests.
Observation #3: Law Enforcement Operations
SMPD effectively balanced evacuation zone security, traf;ic management, and routine service delivery by establishing a tactical alert, activating the mutual aid system, and participating with the implementation and enforcement of the City’s curfew order. The curfew order proved to be a critical force multiplier for public safety by signi;icantly reducing unauthorized access and criminal activity in the evacuation zones.
Observation #4: Public Information
The City’s Communications Team prioritized message accuracy, accessibility, and bilingual outreach consistent with FEMA crisis communications philosophy. Multiple communication platforms, including SMAlerts, WEA, social media, the City of Santa Monica website, 311, City digital kiosks, and direct outreach to vulnerable populations, were effectively utilized. During the Palisades Fire, the Communications Team successfully corrected misinformation, including a WEA broadcast advising City residents to boil their water and a false report that the ;ire was burning within the City’s jurisdiction.
Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 42 Observation #5: Public Works
The Public Works Department, including the Water Resources Division, provided critical risk mitigation by conducting large-scale debris removal, protecting pressure zones, maintaining water reservoir levels, and communicating water system limitations to ;ire personnel. These actions reduced secondary ignition risk potential and supported the safe repopulation of evacuation zones.
Observation #6: Governance, Policy, and Organizational Resilience According to the City’s website, “the City Manager’s Office leads the team of City departments and staff to implement the City Council’s vision based on their established community-wide priorities and direction.” The City Manager’s Office (CMO) includes the City Manager (CM), Assistant City Manager (ACM), and the Deputy City Manager (DCM). On January 7, 2025, at the onset of the Palisades Fire the CM and ACM were both out of the country placing the DCM into the Acting City Manager leadership role. The absence of both the CM and ACM at the onset of the incident created a governance gap. This gap resulted in an increased demand for OEM leadership and department heads to manage both the emergency response and elected of;icial expectations, potentially leading to delays and confusion.
Observation #7: Reinstate Elected OfGicial Training and Integration A common concern among elected of;icials was the lack of training in emergency operations, their role during an emergency, and crisis communications and information release protocols. At the time of the Palisades Fire, four of the seven members of the Santa Monica City Council had been in their positions for less than one month, and all expressed that they had received no exposure to the EOC during the new-member onboarding process. Several members of the City Council, including both recently elected and longer-tenured members, advised that they did not even know where the EOC was located.
During the Palisades Fire, City Council members sought real-time operational information without fully understanding the veri;ication and approval process, and on at least one occasion, an elected of;icial released unvetted information regarding a potential ;ire within Santa Monica City limits that later had to be corrected by the Communications Team.
Observation #8: Interagency Communications and Coordination Interviews with current and former SMPD management personnel indicated that there were minor radio communication interoperability issues between SMPD and mutual aid law enforcement units, but those were quickly overcome. A lack of communication occurred when a stretch of PCH was reopened without notifying Caltrans personnel who were Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 43 operating in the area. This lack of noti;ication could have led to serious injury, but fortunately for all involved, Caltrans personnel maintained good situational awareness and there were no injuries.
Observation #9: CAL FIRE, Fire Hazard Severity Zone Maps Prior to the Palisades Fire, CAL FIRE issued Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) Maps that identi;ied Very High FHSZ areas immediately abutting the northernmost boundary of the City of Santa Monica but showed no zones within the City limits. When the State reassessed this area following the Palisades Fire and issued updated FHSZ maps in March 2025, they identi;ied areas within the City limits now rated as moderate, high, and very high.
Recommendations
Depending on resources, City can address next steps. As the City focuses on realignment, budget and technology, these areas would be recommended to revisit going forward.
1. Public Information, Communications, and Elected OfSicial Coordination
1.1 Review and Update the Crisis Communications Plan
Review and update the City’s Crisis Communications Plan (last updated in 2019) to re;lect current platforms, WEA usage, Everbridge con;iguration, bilingual messaging requirements, social media monitoring, and misinformation management during regional incidents.
1.2 Establish a Formal Elected Officials Communications Protocol Develop a written protocol de;ining what information is shared with the Mayor and City Council, when it is shared, and through what mechanism to include pre-release brie;ings, incident summaries, or situation reports. This protocol should clearly distinguish between situational awareness and public release authority.
1.3 Create a Dedicated Elected Officials Liaison Function During EOC activations, designate a single senior-level liaison responsible for managing Mayor and Council information requests, coordinating messaging expectations, and preventing operational distractions to the PIO and OEM teams.
1.4 Provide Mandatory Crisis Communications Training for Elected Officials Incorporate emergency communications, misinformation risks, and social media considerations into Council onboarding and annual refresher training, including expectations for social media posting during emergencies.
1.5 Expand Emergency Communications Staffing Capacity
Evaluate options to augment the communications function during prolonged or high-tempo incidents, including pre-quali;ied contract support, mutual aid PIO agreements, or an additional dedicated emergency communications position within OEM.
Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 44 1.6 Enhance Technology and Visualization Tools for Public Messaging Expand GIS, mapping, and dashboard capabilities to support evacuation zone clarity, traf;ic impacts, and situational updates. Ensure the City website can sustain high traf;ic volumes during emergencies without degradation.
1.7 Provide Additional Training to All Communications Team Members Provide updated training through a third-party provider potentially California Specialized Training Institute (CSTI) or Texas A&M Engineering Extension Services (TEEX) to include updated material on JIC roles, structure, and delegation.
1.8 Conduct Joint Training for OEM, PIOs, and Policy Group Implement joint training and exercises focused on emergency communications, JIC operations, evacuation decision making, and elected of;icial engagement.
2. Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Governance and StafSing
2.1 Strengthen Policy Group and Executive Leadership Training Provide targeted EOC and Policy Group training for the City Manager, Assistant City Manager, Deputy City Manager and Department Directors to clarify decision-making roles, authorities, and expectations during emergencies.
2.2 Ensure Executive Continuity and Succession Planning Establish clear succession protocols to avoid simultaneous out-of-country absences of the City Manager and Assistant City Manager and document delegation of authority.
2.3 Expand and Formalize EOC Staffing Depth
Continue building two-deep or three-deep staf;ing for all EOC positions and formalize succession planning across OEM, Fire, Police, Public Works, and Logistics functions.
2.4 Integrate Key Support Functions into the EOC
Formalize procedures for embedding IT, GIS, and transportation systems specialists into the EOC during complex incidents to improve situational awareness and operational coordination.
3. Emergency Management Program Development
3.1 Supplement and Stabilize OEM Staffing Levels
Consider expanding staf;ing within the Santa Monica OEM, including maintaining competitive compensation, to reduce single-point-of-failure risk during preparedness and mitigation operations as identi;ied in the 2023 Emergency Management Program Gap Analysis.
Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 45 3.2 Clarify OEM Authority and Interdepartmental Coordination Document OEM’s coordinating authority across departments, particularly following its transition to the Police Department, to ensure consistent expectations during multi-agency incidents.
3.3 Finalize City Evacuation Zones
Continue to revise and update evacuation zones to align with natural boundaries and existing neighborhoods and CAL FIRE, Fire Hazard Severity Zones. Verify that new evacuation zones are included in the Genasys Protect system.
4. Fire Department Operations and Interagency Coordination
4.1 Develop a Formal Red Flag and Extreme Weather Staffing Policy Establish written criteria for proactive upstaf;ing, recall tiers, and resource back;ill for winddriven wild;ire threats.
4.2 Formalize Dispatch and Call-Triage Modifications
Create policy guidance allowing for temporary dispatch protocol changes during extreme conditions (e.g., prioritization of con;irmed ;ires over odor or wire arcing calls).
4.3 Improve Communications Interoperability and Radio Clarity Update radio identi;iers and interoperability protocols to reduce confusion when working with outside agencies and strike teams.
4.4 Strengthen Succession and Delegation Planning
Ensure quali;ied, credentialed personnel are identi;ied and trained to assume key command and liaison roles during extended incidents.
5. Police Department Operations and Security
5.1 Develop Weather-Based and Pre-Incident Upstaffing Guidance Establish policy for proactive SMPD staf;ing adjustments during forecasted Red Flag or evacuation scenarios.
5.2 Formalize Curfew Decision-Making and Implementation Policy Create a written policy outlining criteria, legal considerations, coordination requirements, and communication strategies for curfews during evacuations.
5.3 Enhance Officer Health and Safety Monitoring
Implement baseline and post-incident health assessments for of;icers exposed to smoke and airborne hazards and evaluate issuance of appropriate ;ire-resistant PPE.
5.4 Improve Interagency Communications for Mutual Aid
Standardize procedures for radio access, equipment issuance, and brie;ing of mutual aid partners upon arrival.
Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 46 5.5 Review and Update Traffic Service Plan
The Traf;ic Services Functional Brush Fire Evacuation Plan should be updated based on lessons learned from the Palisades Fire. This plan received Departmental approval in 2021.
6. Evacuation Planning and TrafSic Management
6.1 Develop a Comprehensive Evacuation Annex
Create a detailed evacuation plan addressing triggers, zones, warnings vs. orders, law enforcement roles, ;ire input, public messaging, and repopulation coordination.
6.2 Enhance Traffic Modeling and Signal Control Capabilities Expand pre-incident traf;ic modeling for wild;ire evacuations, including freeway closures, arterial choke points, and transit rerouting.
6.3 Embed Transportation and Caltrans Coordination in the EOC Formalize Caltrans and CHP liaison participation during incidents impacting State highways and freeways.
7. Public Works, Utilities, and Field Safety
7.1 Formalize Water System Readiness Procedures
Document reservoir ;illing strategies, hydrant ;low limitations, and coordination protocols with Fire Department during Red Flag events.
7.2 Improve PPE Availability for Field Crews
Ensure adequate respiratory and eye protection is available for Public Works and utility personnel operating in smoke and debris environments.
7.3 Expand Mutual Aid and Contracting Triggers
Clarify thresholds for requesting Public Works mutual aid or activating pre-existing debris removal and tree maintenance contracts.
7.4 PCH Bluff and I-10 Freeway Slope Mitigation
Continue to monitor the PCH bluff and I-10 freeway slopes for growth and debris removal.
8. Training, Exercises, and Community Preparedness
8.1 Provide Annual EOC Tours and Orientation for City Council Institutionalize annual EOC walkthroughs and role brie;ings for elected of;icials.
8.2 Conduct Multi-Agency Wildfire Exercises
Include OEM, Fire, Police, Public Works, Communications, and elected of;icials in scenariobased exercises emphasizing evacuations, curfews, and regional coordination.
Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 47 8.3 Enhance Public Preparedness Outreach
Reinforce community education efforts (e.g., evacuation readiness, information sources, gokits) through regular outreach and City publications.
8.4 Promote Citywide Alerting and Information PlatformsEngage in a public campaign alerting residents and businesses to register for SMAlerts noti;ications and register for SMFD’s Community Connect.
9. Citywide Planning
9.1 Implement a Citywide Mentorship Program
Multiple department heads expressed that they lack staff who are ready to step into leadership roles. Departments should design and implement mentorship programs to train tomorrow’s leaders and ensure that institutional knowledge is not lost as current leadership transitions out of the City.
Implementations and Improvement Plan
The purpose of the Implementation and Improvement Plan for the Santa Monica Palisades Fire AAR is to translate identi;ied ;indings and recommendations into clear, actionable corrective actions that strengthen the City’s preparedness and response capabilities. The plan establishes responsibility, timelines, and performance measures to ensure lessons learned from the incident result in measurable, sustained improvements to policies, procedures, training, and interagency coordination consistent with guidance from FEMA and Cal OES.
Implementation & Improvement Plan
Recommendation Lead/Support Timeline
Key
Implementation
Actions
Performance
Metrics
Public Information, Communications, and Elected OfGicial Coordination
1.1 Update Crisis
Communications
Plan
Lead: CMO/PIO
Support: SMPD
EMD
Short-Term
Review 2019
Plan; incorporate
WEA, Everbridge,
bilingual
standards,
misinformation
protocols;
Council Adoption
Plan updated
and adopted;
annual review
cycle
established
1.2 Elected
OfGicials
Communications
Protocol
Lead: CMO
Support: SMPD
EMD, CMO/PIO,
CAO
Short-Term
Draft policy;
de;ine situational
awareness vs
release
Policy
approved;
brie;ing
Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 48 authority; adopt
Policy Group SOP
cadence
documented
1.3 Dedicated
Elected OfGicials
Liaison
Lead: EMD
Support: CMO Short-Term
Identify liaison
and alternates;
integrate into
EOC org chart;
exercise role
Liaison
assigned
within 24 hrs.
of EOC
activation
1.4 Crisis
Communications
Training for
Council
Lead: CMO
Support:
CMO/PIO, SMPD
EMD
Mid-Term
Develop module;
deliver
onboarding and
annual
refreshers
100% Council
participation
annually
1.5 Expand
Communications
StafGing Capacity
Lead: PIO
Support: HR,
EMD
Mid-Term
Evaluate staf;ing
models; establish
contracts/mutual
aid; budget
review
Surge support
available
withing 48
hours
1.6 Enhance GIS &
Visualization
Tools
Lead: ISD
Support: EMD,
SMFD, SMPD
Mid-Term
Develop
evacuation maps,
dashboards, web
scaling
improvements
GIS products
available
within EOC
;irst
operational
period
1.7 JIC &
Communications
Training
Lead: EMD
Support: PIO Mid-Term
Enroll staff in
CSTI/TEEX;
Conduct JIC
tabletop exercise
> 80% of
Comms Team
trained
1.8 Joint
EMD/PIO/Policy
Training
Lead: EMD Mid-Term
Conduct joint
exercises and
workshops
Annual joint
training
completed
Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Governances and StafGing
2.1 Policy Group
& Executive
Training
Lead: EMD
Support: CMO Short-Term
Deliver
executive-level
EOC Policy Group
training
Executives
trained within
6 months
2.2 Executive
Continuity &
Succession
Lead: CMO
Support: EMD Short-Term
Draft succession
policy; de;ine
delegations;
adopt
administratively
Succession
plan adopted
2.3 Expand EOC
StafGing Depth
Lead: EMD
Support; All
Depts.
Mid-Term
Identify
alternates; crosstrain; update
EOC roster
Two-deep
staf;ing for all
EOC roles
Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 49 2.4 Integrate IT,
GIS,
Transportation
in EOC
Lead: EMD
Support: ISD,
PW, SMPD
Mid-Term
De;ine trigger
criteria; update
EOC SOPs
Specialists
embedded
within ;irst 12
hours
Emergency Management Program Development
3.1 Supplement
& Stabilize EMD
StafGing
Lead: SMPD
Support: HR Mid-Term
Fill vacancies;
review
compensation;
succession
planning
No singlepoint-offailure
positions
3.2 Clarify EMD
Authority
Lead: EMD
Support: CAO Short-Term Update Plans/SOPs
EMD authority
documented
and
disseminated
3.3 Finalize
Evacuation Zones
Lead: EMD
Support: SMFD,
ISD
Short-Term
Align zones with
FHSZ and major
streets; upload
into Genasys
Protect
Zones
validated and
live in system
Fire Department Operations and Interagency Coordination
4.1 Red Flag
StafGing Policy Lead: SMFD Short-Term Draft upstaf;ing and recall tiers Policy adopted
4.2 Dispatch &
Call-Triage Policy
Lead: SMFD
Support: EMD Mid-Term
Update triage
SOPs; supervisor
training
Reduced nonpriority call
backlog
4.3 Radio
Interoperability
Lead SMFD
Support: ISD Mid-Term
Update
identi;iers;
conduct training
and drills
Interop issues
reduced in
exercises
4.4 Succession &
Delegation
Planning
Lead: SMFD Mid-Term
Identify
alternates;
credentialling
Command
continuity
maintained
Police Department Operations and Security
5.1 WeatherBased UpstafGing Lead: SMPD Short-Term Draft Red Flag Staf;ing Triggers Policy Adopted
5.2 Curfew Policy
Lead: SMPD
Support: CMO,
CAO EMD
Short-Term
Develop criteria,
messaging
framework
Policy
Approved
5.3 OfGicer Health
& Safety
Lead: SMPD
Support: HR,
Safety
Mid-Term
Health
assessments;
PPE evaluation
PPE issued;
health tracking
in place
5.4 Mutual Aid
Communications Lead: SMPD Mid-Term
Standardize
radio & brie;ing
protocols
Reduced
onboarding
time for
Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 50 mutual aid
resources
5.5 Update
TrafGic Services
Plan
Lead: SMPD
Support: PW,
EMD
Short-Term
Revise 2021
plan; adopt
updates
Plan updated
and exercised
Evacuation Planning and TrafGic Management
6.1 Evacuation
Annex
Lead: EMD
Support: SMPD Mid-Term
Draft annex;
integrate into
existing plans
Annex adopted
6.2 TrafGic
Modeling &
Signals
Lead: PW
Support: ISD,
SMPD
Long-Term
Enhance
modeling tools;
signal plans
Modeling used
in exercises
6.3 Caltrans &
CHP Liaisons Lead: EMD Short-Term Formalize liaison roles Liaisons
embedded
when
triggered
Public Works, Utilities, and Field Safety
7.1 Water System
Readiness Lead: PW/Water Short-Term Document Red Flag procedures SOP adopted
7.2 PPE for Field
Crews
Lead: PW
Support: Safety Mid-Term Procure PPE; Train staff
PPE
availability
tracked
7.3 Mutual Aid &
Contract Triggers Lead: PW Mid-Term
De;ine
thresholds;
update contracts
Faster
activation
times
7.4 PCH & I-10
Slope Monitoring Lead: PW Ongoing
Continue
inspections &
debris removal
Ongoing
hazard
mitigation
Training, Exercises, and Community Preparedness
8.1 Annual
Council EOC
Orientation
Lead: EMD
Support: CMO Annual Conduct tours and brie;ings
100% Council
participation
8.2 Multi-Agency
WildGire
Exercises
Lead: EMD Annual
Full-scale or
functional
exercise
Corrective
actions
tracked
8.3 Public
Preparedness
Outreach
Lead: EMD
Support: PIO,
ISD
Ongoing
Community
campaigns;
publications
Increased
engagement
metrics
8.4 Alerting
Platform
Promotion
Lead: SMPD
EMD
Support:
CMO PIO
Ongoing
SMAlerts &
Community
Connect
campaign
Registrations
increased
annually
Citywide Planning
Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 51 9.1 Citywide
Mentorship
Program
Lead: HR
Support: All
Departments
Long-Term
Develop
program; assign
mentors
Leadership
bench strength
increased
Note: Following the transition of Santa Monica OEM from the City Manager’s Of;ice to the Police Department, OEM was renamed as the Emergency Management Division (EMD).
OEM was used throughout the AAR due to its role in the Palisades Fire.
Timelines are expressed as:
Short-Term: 0-6 months
Mid-Term: 6-12 months
Long-Term: 12-24 months
Conclusion
The City of Santa Monica’s response to the January 2025 Palisades Fire demonstrated a proactive, coordinated, and effective approach to managing a complex, fast-moving regional disaster that posed a direct and credible threat to the community. Early activation of the EOC, strong interdepartmental collaboration, and sustained engagement with regional, State, and Federal partners enabled the City to maintain situational awareness, protect public safety, and support large-scale evacuation, law enforcement, ;ire suppression, and recovery operations under extreme conditions. Although the ;ire did not ultimately enter City limits, the City’s actions re;lected sound, risk-based decision making and a commitment to preparedness rather than reactive response.
This AAR identi;ies meaningful strengths across operations, communications, and coordination while also highlighting targeted opportunities for improvement related to governance, staf;ing continuity, communications structure, evacuation policy re;inement, and surge capacity. Addressing these areas through the recommendations outlined in this report will further enhance the City’s readiness, resilience, and ability to operate effectively during future large-scale emergencies. Collectively, the lessons learned from the Palisades Fire reinforce that continued investment in planning, training, and organizational alignment will strengthen the City’s capacity to protect its residents, infrastructure, and continuity of government in an increasingly complex hazard environment. It should be acknowledged that due to than a one-year separation between the Palisades Fire and the completion of this report some recommendations contained within this report have previously been commenced or completed by city staff.
JGA was honored to partner with the City of Santa Monica in its ongoing efforts to strengthen organizational resilience, enhance community preparedness, and advance continuous improvement.
Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 52 Appendix 1: Acronym List
AAR: After-Action Review
AARR: After-Action Review Report
AQI: Air Quality Index
CAL FIRE California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Cal OES: California Governor’s Of;ice of Emergency Services Caltrans: California Department of Transportation
CHP: California Highway Patrol
CSTI: California Specialized Training Institute
EOC: Emergency Operations Center
EPA: United States Environmental Protection Agency
FIRESCOPE: Fire;ighting Resources of Southern California Organized for Potential Emergencies
FEMA: Federal Emergency Management Agency
FHSZ: Fire Hazard Severity Zone
GACC: Geographic Area Coordination Centers
HSEEP: Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program ICS: Incident Command System
ICP: Incident Command Post
IMT: Incident Management Team
IP: Implementation Plan
JIC: Joint Information Center
LACoFD Los Angeles County Fire Department
LAFD: Los Angeles Fire Department
LAPD: Los Angeles Police Department
NOAA: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 53 NFPA: National Fire Protection Association
NIMS: National Incident Management System
NWS: National Weather Service
OEM: Of;ice of Emergency Management
PCH: Paci;ic Coast Highway
PDS: Particularly Dangerous Situation
PPE: Personal Protective Equipment
PIO: Public Information Of;icer
PSPS: Public Safety Power Shutoff
SBA: Small Business Administration
SCAQMD: South Coast Air Management District
SEMS: Standardized Emergency Management System
TEEX: Texas A & M Engineering Extension Service
WEA: Wireless Emergency Alert
WUI: Wildland Urban Interface
Palisades Fire After-Action Report-For Official Use Only 54 Appendix 2: Data Sources
Publicly Available Data Sources:
• City of Santa Monica Data
• Watch Duty
• National Weather Service
o Forecasts
o Weather Data
• Genasys Protect
o Evacuation Zones
• CAL FIRE
o Incident Status Updates
o Maps
o Fire Hazard Severity Zones
• Social Media Posts
• Community-generated content