Prescribed Plot Burn Scheduled for Santa Monica Mountains Above Topanga Friday June 26,2026
June 24, 2026
LOS ANGELES (June 24, 2026) – The Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA) announced today that the Los Angeles County Fire Department, in coordination with MRCA, has scheduled a prescribed plot burn for Friday, June 26, 2026, in the Santa Monica Mountains near Santa Maria Road and Dirt Mulholland Road, weather and environmental conditions permitting.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department will serve as the lead agency for the prescribed burn operation. The Los Angeles City Fire Department, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and MRCA Fire Division will provide support personnel and resources to assist with operational objectives, public safety, traffic management, and incident coordination throughout the event.
The plot burn is part of an ongoing effort to reduce wildfire risk, improve ecosystem health, and enhance community protection through strategic fuel management. The Los Angeles County Fire Department will serve as the lead agency for the operation.
The prescribed burn will be conducted one plot at a time over an eight-hour period using a mosaic burning approach, creating a patchwork of burned and unburned vegetation across the landscape. This strategy helps reduce fuel continuity, support habitat diversity, and improve ecosystem resilience. A highly successful low intensity pile burn was conducted in the Topanga area in April.
The project is strategically designed to reduce the spread and intensity of future wildfires by creating breaks in vegetation continuity across the landscape. In the Santa Monica Mountains, where fires can rapidly move through connected canyons, ridgelines, and drainages, these treatments are intended to help slow wildfire movement from valley to valley and community to community, providing firefighters with greater opportunities to safely engage and suppress advancing fire.
This is a planned plot burn conducted by trained personnel operating under a Chief-approved burn plan and Incident Action Plan (IAP). Fire crews will remain on-site throughout the operation to monitor conditions and ensure the burn remains within established control lines. Resources will continue to remain on scene until the plot burn is fully contained, and all operational objectives have been safely completed.
The Prescribed Burn Operation will be rescheduled if weather, fuel moisture, air quality, of smoke dispersal conditions become unfavorable.
Operational Information
What: Prescribed Plot Burn
When: Friday, June 26, 2026 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Where: Santa Maria Road and Mulholland Road, Santa Monica Mountains above Topanga Canyon
Smoke Impacts and Public Safety
Smoke May Be Visible: 9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. in surrounding communities. Smoke may linger in some areas after ignition. Individuals sensitive to smoke, including children, older adults, and those with respiratory conditions, should limit outdoor activity if smoke is present.
The public is asked not to report visible smoke from the prescribed burn area as a wildfire. However, if smoke or fire is observed outside the designated project area, residents should contact local authorities.
Traffic and Access
Motorists traveling near Santa Maria Road, Dirt Mulholland Road, and surrounding areas should remain alert for possible smoke and reduced visibility. Minor delays or temporary access restrictions may occur during active operations.
Trail and Road Closures
To ensure public safety during active operations, temporary closures of nearby roads and trail systems will be implemented within and around the project area. Closure locations will be clearly marked, and advance notification signs will be posted one day before the scheduled burn.
Members of the public are asked to respect all closure notices and avoid entering restricted areas. These temporary restrictions are necessary to provide a safe operating environment for firefighters and support personnel while minimizing public exposure to smoke and operational hazards.
Trail and roadway access will be restored as soon as conditions allow following completion of the prescribed burn and subsequent safety assessments.
Community Information
The burn will be conducted under a Chief-approved burn plan and supported by an Incident Action Plan (IAP), which outlines operational objectives, weather forecasts, assigned resources, communications, and safety measures.
For more information about controlled burns including health impacts visit:
http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/eh/safety/prescribed-fire.htm
Residents can monitor the free Watch Duty app for information regarding planned prescribed fire activity and operational updates.
For current air quality information, visit:
This project is supported in part by funding from Proposition 4, the California Climate Bond, through the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy.
Contact :
MRCA Fire Prevention Division
mrcafireprevention@mrca.ca.gov