Monitoring Los Angeles Area Fires  – Update #5

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University officials continue to monitor the fires in the greater Los Angeles area. 

The Palisades Fire remains approximately 2.5 miles from campus and is not presently a threat to Pepperdine’s Malibu campus. The Palisades Fire has burned 23,713 acres and is 11% contained. 

The Kenneth Fire is now 100% contained. All evacuation orders for this fire have been lifted. 

Air Quality
Air quality is generally improving, though it can vary depending on wind direction related to the fires in the greater Los Angeles area. Pepperdine officials continue to monitor air quality in the area. For those with additional sensitivities, N95 masks are available upon request. 

Classes and Campus Operations
The University is prepared to resume all undergraduate and graduate classes on Monday with undergraduate and the vast majority of graduate classes on the Malibu campus held online through Sunday, January 19. Students with classes scheduled on the Calabasas, West Los Angeles, or Irvine campuses should follow the guidance of their deans.

Faculty will deliver classes online from home or their campus offices as fire and road conditions permit. Deans and supervisors have provided additional guidance to faculty related to teaching schedules and office hours.

Staff should return to normally scheduled work shifts and campus locations, unless approved by supervisors to work remotely. Employees with additional sensitivities may speak with their supervisor about alternative arrangements or to request an N95 mask. Employees who live in the areas impacted by the fires, or have children whose schools are impacted, should work with their supervisors to adjust work schedules to attend to family or home needs.

Curfew
In order to secure areas evacuated due to the Palisades Fire, officials have instituted a curfew from 6 PM to 6 AM in the mandatory evacuation areas. All students, faculty, and staff are asked to remain out of and off roads within these evacuated areas during this time. 

Red Flag Warning
The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for portions of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties until 6 PM Wednesday with predicted sustained winds of 15-30 miles per hour (MPH) and gusts up to 50 MPH accompanied by low relative humidity.

Road Conditions Update
Malibu Canyon Road, Topanga Canyon, and Pacific Coast Highway remain closed. The closure point of PCH has moved from Malibu Canyon to just south of the Malibu Pier, with Ralphs and the Chevron gas station open for business. PCH remains closed on the south end at the McClure Tunnel. Currently, the only way to access Pepperdine’s Malibu campus is by taking Kanan Road south to PCH and entering campus on John Tyler Drive.

This entry was posted in Calabasas, Malibu.