Strong winds are driving the spread of wildfires in Malibu and Camp Pendleton, just in time for voters to recall the Great Los Angeles Wildfire of 2025 as they filling out November ballots.
Posted by Leslie Eastman
As crews battle the Bryson Fire near Malibu and the Henderson Fire at Camp Pendleton today, Southern California faces another unsettling reminder of its wildfire vulnerability.
With election season upon us and the devastating Los Angeles fires of 2025 still fresh in memory, the message should be clear: Slogans don’t refill reservoirs, clear hazardous brush, or give firefighters the leadership, staffing, equipment, and funding they need.
Like the January 2025 wildfire that hit Pacific Palisades and Altadena hard, Santa Ana winds are driving these fires.
The fire near Malibu has already burned 140 acres and is 17% contained.
Critical fire conditions are expected to persist as a threatening combination of strong Santa Ana winds, low humidity and dry vegetation will make it more difficult to contain wildfires in the region, Los Angeles County officials said Friday.
Firefighters worked overnight to suppress the wildfire that broke out late Thursday afternoon in western Malibu, managing to contain 17% of the Bryson Fire as of Friday morning, said Lindsey P. Horvath, supervisor of the Los Angeles County’s third district.
“It is still red flag alert,” Horvath said in a press conference Friday morning, adding that such conditions are expected to last at least until Saturday night. “Be vigilant and be prepared.”
The Bryson Fire began just before 5 p.m. on Thursday on Encinal Canyon Road’s rugged terrain in the Santa Monica Mountains. The fire is currently at 146 acres, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said Friday.
At present, there are no reports of fatalities or structure loss. However, more than 100 buildings in the area are affected, and Los Angeles-area residents are likely recalling the 2025 fire.
One of the most significant factors in the 2025 destruction of Pacific Palisades was that the Santa Ynez Reservoir, a 117-million-gallon water source, was offline when the wildfire hit. Latest reports indicate it is still offline, but its replacement cover has been installed, and it’s expected to return to service by the end of 2026.
Meanwhile, Southern California Edison has shut off power to thousands of customers, primarily in Los Angeles and Ventura counties.
The utility said power shutoffs are currently in effect or under consideration due to heightened wildfire risk. In Los Angeles County, 52,953 customers are without power and in Ventura County, 57,120 customers are facing a power shutoff, as of Friday morning.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is likely getting nervous about the wildfire situation so close to the November election, as voters get a heated reminder of her 2025 ineptitude and failure.
In fact, she still hasn’t recovered from the fairly dramatic display of incompetence. Bass actually apologized during the recent debate with mayoral contender Nithya Raman.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass expressed regret for being away from her city during the massive January 2025 wildfires in Southern California, apologizing to voters for her absence while debating her mayoral race opponent Tuesday night.
“Let me just say that I am so profoundly sorry that I was not in my city when my city needed me,” Bass said during the debate, which was moderated by NBC4 Los Angeles and Telemundo 52. “There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think of the lives lost, the families that lost their homes, or the families where the home is still standing but they’re not able to be in it.”
Meanwhile, a little closer to my hometown of San Diego, the Henderson Fire is burning around Camp Pendleton. The fire has already burned more than 2,000 acres, remains completely uncontained, and has forced the closure of Interstate-5.
Transportation officials closed the I-5 in northern San Diego County on Friday afternoon due to two vegetation fires, including the Henderson Fire, which started on Thursday and had already prompted a highway closure in its first hours.
According to the California Highway Patrol, the full closure of I-5 began around 12:20 p.m. between Vandergrift Blvd. and Basilone Road because heavy smoke affected visibility.
The Henderson Fire started around 2:30 p.m. in Camp Pendleton, and strong winds drove it west. By Friday, it had reached more than 2,000 acres.
The new fire on Friday started along southbound I-5, near the checkpoint in San Onofre. This fire is currently at 3 acres, officials said.
As the Bryson and Henderson fires burn, Southern Californians are again seeing that wildfire preparedness is a basic test of government competence and not merely a campaign talking point.
This November, voters should demand measurable results on water infrastructure, brush clearance, emergency planning and fire-department resources before rewarding any candidate with a term in office.
When lives, homes and entire communities are at stake, accountability must begin at the ballot box. Let’s hope Californians remember 2025.
However, I am not sure either LA mayoral candidate will exude any competence or civic responsibility during the next term.
