MRCA Asks Public to Stay out of Parks, Follow Closures Due to Fire

January 10, 2025

LOS ANGELES, CA (January 10, 2025) — The Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA) is asking for the public to stay out of all MRCA parks and off of trails until the current extreme wind event is over and all regional fires are contained. MRCA Fire Division personnel, as well as Park Rangers and operation staff who are also certified wildland firefighters have been working around the clock to defend and protect MRCA parkland under dangerous and challenging conditions.

“We appreciate the public’s  help in our efforts to keep the community safe,” said Chief Ranger Fernando Gomez.

All MRCA parks and trails in and around the current fire evacuation zones are closed. Information about the fire events, including maps of the evacuation zones are provided by L.A. County here.

MRCA Park closures include:

Temescal Gateway Park

King Gillette Ranch

All Topanga Canyon Parks including Tuna Canyon Park, Mill Creek, Redrock Canyon Park, Ed Edelman Park

Escondido Canyon Park

Dirt Mulholland Drive

San Vicente Mountain Park

All Mulholland Overlooks

Fryman Canyon Park and the Betty Dearing Trail

Wilacre Park

Franklin Canyon Park

Upper Las Virgenes Open Space Preserve

Wilson Canyon Park

Ed Davis Park at Towsley Canyon

Whitney Canyon Park

The MRCA maintains its own fire division to protect resources on MRCA-managed properties, and works together with local fire departments, State and federal agencies, and the public to prevent wildfires, and—if necessary—to defend against them. In the current Palisades Fire incident, MRCA Fire Division defended Temescal Gateway Park in the Palisades Fire area. The MRCA is on 24 hour patrol now and throughout all red flag incidents. Air quality in the region is unhealthy.

The Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA) is a local government public entity exercising joint powers of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, the Conejo Recreation and Park District and the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District. The MRCA is dedicated to the preservation and management of local open space and parkland, wildlife habit at, coastal access, watershed lands, and trails in both wilderness and urban settings, and to ensuring access to public parkland and coastal resources. The MRCA works in cooperation with the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and other local government partners to acquire parkland, participate in vital planning processes, work towards wildfire resilience, and connect wildlife habitat. The MRCA manages more than 75,000 acres of parkland that it owns and that are owned by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. It is one of the lead agencies revitalizing the Los Angeles.