Latest Event Updates
Monitoring the Kenneth Fire
University officials are monitoring the Kenneth wildfire in the West Hills area north of the 101 freeway, which is currently 50 acres and moving quickly in moderate brush approximately 4 miles northeast of the Calabasas campus. Winds are pushing it to the southwest, toward Calabasas and the Las Virgenes corridor. Air and ground firefighting resources are deployed.
Officials have issued the following:
- Mandatory evacuation order for Vanowen south to Burbank Boulevard. County Lane Road east to E. Valley Circle Boulevard.
- Evacuation Warning for Oak Park residents near Kanan Road and Agoura Road, east of Kanan Road to Deer Hill.
Please be advised of the following:
- Community members whose homes are affected by the fire or road closures should follow the directions of their local governmental agencies.
- Road condition information is available on the University’s Road Condition hotline at 310.506.ROAD (7623).
The latest information from Pepperdine’s EOC is also available on the University’s Emergency Information Page.
A Message from President Jim Gash Regarding University Operations
To the Pepperdine Community:
As we prepare to return to university life for the spring semester, we do so under circumstances none of us would have hoped or expected. We are mindful and deeply impacted by the devastation wreaked by the recent fires in the Los Angeles area as we prepare to support our community in the days ahead. We have prayed, and continue to pray, for God’s protection and provision for the University community and communities throughout Los Angeles County.
The decisions we have made and announced throughout this last week were, and continue to be, made in careful consideration of the circumstances, in alignment with our core values, and with the best interest of our community in mind. These decisions have been made by Pepperdine’s Emergency Operations Committee (EOC), composed of senior University leaders who coordinate resources to ensure the safety of students, faculty, and staff during critical incidents and manage emergencies affecting Pepperdine. The EOC was activated on Tuesday as a fire started in Pacific Palisades and has met multiple times every day since, staying up throughout the night to monitor the fire, to ensure the safety of our community and to coordinate the University’s response. Through ongoing consultation with first responders, government organizations, and local officials, the EOC considers all the available facts to inform University-wide decisions based on the evolving situation.
To date, the Palisades Fire has destroyed more than 1,100 structures in the neighboring coastal communities near our Malibu campus, necessitating extensive and ongoing fire suppression and response action by firefighters, utility companies, and other first responders. Road closures also remain in place. As gas lines ruptured in the burn areas, the gas company had to shut off the natural gas service to temper these exacerbating circumstances, including termination of service to many parts of Malibu and Pepperdine’s Malibu campus. Malibu’s gas service will be off until conditions improve enough to allow safe re-activation of the gas lines. These conditions will improve but will take some time, perhaps a week or more.
After careful consideration of all of these factors, and with consensus from the EOC and academic leadership, undergraduate and the vast majority of graduate classes on the Malibu campus will take place online through Sunday, January 19. The deans will communicate more specific guidance related to academic programming. The University will modify campus operations accordingly. Students with classes scheduled for Calabasas, West Los Angeles, or Irvine campuses and employees supporting these campuses will receive further guidance from their deans and/or supervisors.
Students may choose to attend these online classes from their home or another selected location, or come to the Malibu campus to log into these online classes.
Students who have registered to live on campus this spring semester are still welcome to check into their residence halls in accordance with the previous timeline. Those residential students who choose to come to the Malibu campus while classes remain in an online format can expect the following:
- The Malibu campus is currently accessible only through the John Tyler Drive gate, which can be reached by coming down Pacific Coast Highway (from north of campus). Kanan Dume Road remains open, but Malibu Canyon Road and PCH south of campus are closed and expected to remain so for some time. Road closures do not currently have exceptions for residents. Many businesses in Malibu and the surrounding communities are closed—and moving farther south, many are also damaged or destroyed.
- The Malibu campus currently has electrical power, including WiFi service, but remains under a preemptive shutoff warning—meaning power could be turned off if fire or weather conditions necessitate an outage for safety reasons.
- Natural gas service to campus has been shut off, with no restoration date yet identified. This means that hot water, heating in most buildings, and Dining Services kitchen appliances that rely on natural gas are not operational. We are actively working with the gas company to re-establish service as quickly as feasible and investigating alternatives that would allow us to provide services to students until our access to natural gas is fully restored.
- Numerous Malibu businesses have been impacted by the fire, including gas stations, grocery stores, and restaurants, many of which may have limited services—if they are available at all—as Malibu recovers from the Palisades Fire.
Faculty will deliver classes online from home or from their campus offices as fire and road conditions permit. Deans and supervisors will provide additional guidance to faculty related to their ability to teach and hold office hours.
Critical support personnel should continue to report to campus to support basic operations. Other staff are generally expected to return to normally scheduled work shifts and campus locations on Monday, January 13, and employees should check with their supervisors about the need to come in or work remotely. 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.
Our faculty and staff, led by the informed leadership of the EOC, will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that we can return to normal campus life as soon as possible and that students are supported throughout this time of difficulty. As a reminder, if you become aware of students who have experienced fire-related losses or have other immediate needs, please alert the Student Care Team [insert link– studentcareteam@pepperdine.edu]. Employees can seek assistance from Human Resources.
No words can remove the pain and loss many have encountered over the past two days, but as we confront this challenge, I am confident that Pepperdine will do everything we can to support one another and support our community. Our unity and resilience will again shine through this time of difficulty, just as it has in times past.
I ask that you continue to pray for the safety of all those in the path of the fire. Pray for the ongoing work of our incredible local firefighters and other first responders from around the country who are working tirelessly to save lives and property. Pray for the members of our Malibu, Palisades, and greater Los Angeles communities whose loved ones, homes, and property have been lost.
I am confident, too, in the steadfast hope we have, even in the midst of ongoing trials. As Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 4, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” And as the Psalmist assures us in Psalm 46, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”
Serving and relying upon one another and resting in the goodness of our present and faithful God, we will remain strong, together.
Jim Gash
President and CEO
Monitoring Palisades Fire – Update #7
The University continues to monitor the Palisades Fire, which is approximately 2.5 miles east of the Malibu campus. The fire has grown to more than 15,800 acres, but continues to pose no immediate threat to the campus. The EOC is also monitoring multiple other fires in Los Angeles County, which continue to grow but are not a threat to campus.
The National Weather Service has extended the Red Flag Warning for portions of Los Angeles and Ventura Counties until Friday at 4 PM with predicted sustained Santa Ana winds of 30-40 miles per hour (MPH) and gusts up to 60 MPH accompanied by low relative humidity.
Operations on the Malibu and Calabasas campuses will be modified for Thursday. Critical support personnel should check with their supervisors about the need to come to campus to support basic operations. All other employees should work remotely, if possible. If remote work is not possible, employees should contact their supervisors to discuss their work shift. 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. A limited number of graduate classes are in session and students should follow the guidance of their faculty and/or dean’s offices.
Natural gas remains out in areas of Malibu and on the Malibu campus, with no estimated time for return to normal service. Additionally, gas stations in Malibu are without power, making them unable to fill cars with gas until power is restored. As community members travel, it is highly recommended to be aware that the closest operational gas stations may be through Kanan along the 101 freeway.
Student Support
The University stands ready to support students who have been impacted by the fire. Students who have lost their off-campus housing and would like to arrange for on-campus housing for the spring semester may contact Housing. Those who have short-term housing or other needs due to fire-related losses may contact the Student Care Team for assistance, which will coordinate support from the University. We are grateful for the generous donors who help us meet needs like these through the Pepperdine Strong Fund.
The Student Health Center and Counseling Center remain open to care for students. Additionally, medical and mental health support are available through the TimelyCare app.
Faculty and Staff Support
The University also stands ready to support faculty and staff who have been impacted by the fire. Faculty and staff should contact Human Resources, which will coordinate support from the University through resources such as the Pepperdine Strong Fund.
Road Closures
Road closures remain fluid and as currently reported, include:
- PCH is closed southbound at Malibu Canyon Road and northbound at the McClure Tunnel
- Malibu Canyon Road is closed between PCH and Piuma
- Topanga Canyon remains closed to all except residents
The EOC plans to distribute the next update around Noon Thursday, unless the situation requires another update to the community.
Monitoring Palisades Fire – Update #6
University officials continue to monitor the Palisades Fire which is now approximately three miles east of the Malibu campus and approaching the area burned in the Franklin Fire, which is 2.4 miles from campus. As the fire moves westward and approaches the burned area from the Franklin Fire, fuel for the fire will significantly decrease.
The Palisades fire has burned more than 11,800 acres but continues to pose no immediate threat to the Malibu campus. The University is also monitoring multiple other fires around the Los Angeles area, which continue to grow but are not a threat to campus.
Malibu Campus Utilities
SoCal Gas has turned off natural gas services to areas of Malibu, including the Malibu campus, as a safety precaution related to the fire. University officials are in consultation with SoCalGas officials, and they are unable to provide an estimate at this time of when gas service may be restored. This utility interruption impacts the use of water heating, central heating, and gas stoves and ovens.
While the campus did not experience a power outage last night, we remain in an area where preventive power shutoffs could still occur. In the event of an outage, the University will share emergency updates through Everbridge, on the Emergency Information Page, and at the following campus locations:
- Main doors to the Lighthouse in the Tyler Campus Center
- Main doors to the Caruso School of Law
- Pier 18 Package Lockers adjacent to Banowsky Hall
- Main doors to the Villa Executive Center
Campus Operations
Today and tomorrow, Waves Cafe and Starbucks will continue to serve breakfast and lunch between 8 AM and 2 PM and grab-and-go dinner service will run from 5-7 PM in Waves Cafe.
Due to the significant wind, the University’s shuttle service has been disrupted. Those currently on campus needing a ride can contact DPS at 310.506.4442 for assistance in arranging one to other areas of campus.
Student Support
The University stands ready to support students who have been impacted by the fire. Students who have lost their off-campus housing and would like to arrange for on-campus housing for the spring semester may contact Housing. Those who have short-term housing or other needs due to fire-related losses may contact the Student Care Team for assistance, which will coordinate support from the University. We are grateful for the generous donors who help us meet needs like these through the Pepperdine Strong Fund.
The Student Health Center and Counseling Center remain open to care for students. Additionally, medical and mental health support are available through the TimelyCare app.
Faculty and Staff Support
The University also stands ready to support faculty and staff who have been impacted by the fire. Faculty and staff should contact Human Resources, which will coordinate support from the University through resources such as the Pepperdine Strong Fund.
Academic Schedule
Seaver College continues to plan to begin Spring Semester classes as scheduled Monday, Jan. 13. The Dean’s office will communicate any changes in schedule if they occur. Graduate schools continue to conduct classes at the direction of their respective deans.
Students returning to campus this weekend will find it accessible via Kanan Road, PCH North of campus, and the John Tyler gate, students should follow directions from law enforcement managing access to roadways.
Road Closures
Road closures remain fluid and as currently reported, include:
- PCH is closed southbound at Malibu Canyon Road and northbound at the McClure Tunnel
- Malibu Canyon Road is closed between PCH and Piuma
- Topanga Canyon remains closed to all except residents
Pepperdine Emergency Information 
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