Topanga officials outline evacuation zones, shelter‑in‑place guidance and drills as road closure continues

Local fire and law‑enforcement officials spent the early portion of the Topanga Town Council meeting answering residents’ questions about evacuations and sheltering after Topanga Canyon Boulevard closed.

Chief Drew Smith and other fire personnel said evacuations operate on a time‑sensitive scale and that officials use unified command with the sheriff and CHP to coordinate traffic routes and control points. "An evacuation order once again is based upon time," Chief Smith said, and he urged residents to treat warnings as an opportunity to prepare or leave early when there are Red Flag conditions.

Fire staff described the shelter‑in‑place option for situations when roads are impassable or visibility is near zero and emphasized the risks of remaining at home when smoke and carbon monoxide make driving dangerous. "Shelter in place is real, real quick," Chief Smith said, adding that the choice depends on time and location in the zone.

Megan Currier and James Grasso walked residents through an evacuation‑zone map (nine zones, with a zone 10 recently added) and recommended residents confirm their zone on protect.genesis.com, sign up for Alert LA County and consider NOAA weather radios as an independent channel of emergency messaging. Grasso said the town will publish a smaller Topanga Evacuation Guide within the next month or three and is finalizing contra‑flow and tabletop/hybrid drill plans.

Residents raised concerns that Fernwood as a sole route would be insufficient in a wind‑driven fire and urged early voluntary evacuation on high‑risk days. Officials urged residents to heed warnings and to use the guide and drills to improve preparedness. The town council and fire personnel agreed more technical briefings specific to sheltering and evacuation sequencing would be scheduled to allow the fire department to provide detailed operational guidance.