NEWS
August 2026
Dear Corral Canyon Neighbors,
We are pleased to report more good news. Please read the updates below and save the date for a Community Meeting on October 3, 2026, when we will provide further details.
Corral Canyon Certified as a Firewise Community
Effective June 12, 2026, Corral Canyon was officially certified by Firewise USA as a Firewise community.
As a Firewise community, we qualify for an insurance premium discount under California’s “Safer from Wildfires” program, which mandates that insurers offer discounts for mitigation efforts completed at both the individual-property and community levels.
CCFSA board member Bambi Young was instrumental in preparing our successful application and coordinating with representatives of the Santa Monica Mountains Fire Safe Council, or SMMFSC, to establish a three-year action plan for Corral Canyon.
At the Community Meeting, we will share more about our action plan and provide guidance on submitting the Firewise certificate to your insurer when requesting a discount. You can also visit the SMMFSC website for additional information about Firewise.
New Fire Detection Cameras Installed in Corral Canyon
Many of you probably use the Watch Duty app on your phones or view live cameras through UC San Diego’s ALERTCalifornia website.
On August 18, 2026, the UC San Diego team led by Dr. Neal Driscoll met with a group of residents organized by Kelly Pessis and Halynn Conrad from the Malibu City Council. The purpose was to install the additional camera pictured below and scout additional locations.
Together with the existing cameras on Castro Peak and the additional cameras planned, this will help make Corral Canyon an exemplar within the ALERTCalifornia system and improve 24/7 fire detection and response. It will also improve individual and community situational awareness during Red Flag conditions through Watch Duty.
This is part of an exciting wave of new technology that includes applications of artificial intelligence and a new satellite system called FireSat. You can learn more through the Earth Fire Alliance and UC San Diego websites.
Thank you to the residents who stepped up to host cameras!
New Grant Funding for Station 271
To continue making progress through the planning and permitting process, CCFSA successfully applied for financial assistance from the City of Malibu and Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath’s office.
CCFSA board member Kelly Kincaid was instrumental in preparing and submitting grant applications that resulted in discretionary grants of $5,000 from the City of Malibu and $20,000 from Supervisor Horvath’s Third District for the Station 271 project.
Thanks to Sophia Soudani in Supervisor Horvath’s office, we are now lined up for an expedited plan check to secure our Grading Permit.
Matt Haines is coordinating with General Steel, architect Vitus Matare, and HRD Engineering to complete the structural design and other documentation required for submittal. In parallel, we received the first reimbursement from the original construction grant from the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy.
Environmental Tree Care Donating Time to Maintain Station 271 Property
CCFSA thanks our neighbor Chris Loguidice and his Environmental Tree Care crew for donating their time and clearing the Station 271 site.
Chris lives on Ingleside Way and is recommended for your tree-care and fire-mitigation needs. We look forward to partnering with Chris as we organize the community brush-clearance events that are part of our Firewise action plan.
Thank you all for your continued patience, incredible financial support, and dedication to keeping Corral Canyon safe. We will keep you updated on all of these developments.
Warmly,
The Corral Canyon Fire Safety Alliance
References:
SMMFSC, Watch Duty, ALERTCalifornia, Earth Fire Alliance, UC San Diego, and Environmental Tree Care
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June 2026
Dear Corral Canyon Neighbors,
We are excited to share some very positive updates regarding the development of Call Firefighter Station 271, additions to our Call Firefighter team, and our application to certify Corral Canyon as a Firewise community!
Station 271 Progress
We are making steady progress through the necessary regulatory stages and are moving closer to breaking ground. Here is where things stand:
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Coastal Permit Approved! We cleared a major regulatory hurdle in August 2025 when our Coastal Permit was officially approved.
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Grading & Plan Check – Round 1: We submitted our grading and plan check permit applications and paid the associated fees in September 2025. In response, we received our first round of remarks and revision requests in December 2025.
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Grading & Plan Check – Round 2: Our engineering and design team worked diligently to address revisions from Round 1 and promptly submitted our updated package for Round 2 review in March 2026. We are currently anticipating the County’s feedback on this second round. Once we receive it, we will complete the remaining requirements to officially secure our Grading Permit.
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Concurrent Structural Work: While we wait on the County, work isn't stopping. We paid a down payment to General Steel for the structure design and materials. Matt Haines is collaborating with General Steel to acquire the necessary structural plans so we can hit the ground running with the building permit process.
New Call Firefighters Join Engine 271 Team
Please welcome Kate Buckwald, Kassidy Jones, and Jon Peterson to the Engine 271 team. These dedicated individuals donated their time and energy to complete the arduous application, screening and training process to become active Call Firefighters in the LA County Fire Department. The impressive achievement of these great neighbors was supported by the Engine 271 veterans who helped them complete the required training. The Engine 271 team participated in the Call Firefighter Academy in Lancaster over four weekends in September and October 2025. Kate, Kassidy and Jon then went on to complete all probationary tasks with Station 71 in May 2026.
Plans to Gain Firewise Status for Corral Canyon
Thanks to initiative taken by CCFSA board member Bambi Young, Corral Canyon is on track to become an official Firewise community. A Firewise community qualifies for an insurance premium discount under California's “Safer from Wildfires” program, which mandates that insurers offer discounts for mitigation efforts done on an individual property and at the community level. Bambi organized a meeting in March 2026 with representatives of the Santa Monica Mountains Fire Safe Council (SMMFSC) and surveyed Corral Canyon neighborhoods with a group of residents. Based on the results of that survey and discussion, SMMFSC has been helping CCFSA complete an application for Firewise certification that includes a three year action plan to further improve our fire resilience. Stand by for more news on the status of our application and recommendations for how Corral Canyon residents can ensure our goals are met.
Community Investment & Funding
Our progress is a direct result of this community's incredible generosity. Since the fundraising drive in 2021 that set a target of $200,000 for initiating Station 271 and other CCFSA activities, our community has so far successfully raised $118,353! This funding has been essential to get the Station 271 project to this point. We have invested most of those funds into essential foundational work, including the plans of our engineering team, two required biologist reports, architectural design, and fees for our permits and our permit expeditor. Recall that CCFSA previously secured a $230,000 construction grant from the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy (SMMC). However, we cannot use those funds until all LA County permits are cleared. In order to bridge the gap and unlock the SMMC grant funding, CCFSA is pursuing additional funding from the government agencies that will benefit from Fire Station 271. Thus, we have applied for a grant from the City of Malibu to complete the final permitting stage. The City will be hearing our presentation on 2 June. Getting that funding plus securing the final building permit is the magic key: it will trigger the start of construction and flow of our $230,000 construction grant funding.
Thank you all for your continued patience, incredible financial support and dedication to keeping Corral Canyon safe. We will keep you updated on all of these developments.
Warmly,
The Corral Canyon Fire Safety Alliance
Corral Canyon
Nearly five hundred residents call Corral Canyon home -- a community which has been tested and united by the devastating wildfires of 2007 and 2018, in which so many of our neighbors lost their homes.
Corral Canyon is home base for our own Call Firefighter program, Engine 271 of LA County Fire Dept. Engine 271 is staffed by Corral residents who stepped forward to commit time and energy to complete the LACoFD training and put their lives on the line to protect their neighbors' lives and property. Our trained Call Firefighters are supported by zone leaders in each neighborhood of Corral Canyon who ensure that neighbors have the equipment and information necessary to harden their homes to fire.
Additionally, under the direction and supervision of the LA County Sheriff's Dept., Corral Canyon residents join nearly a hundred Arson watch volunteers from Malibu, Topanga, Agoura Hills and Calabasas and patrol over 185 square miles of the Santa Monica Mountains during periods of extreme fire weather conditions.
The Corral Canyon Fire Safety Alliance
The Corral Canyon Fire Safety Alliance (CCFSA) is a recognized 501(c)(3) corporation that was established in May 2009 as a California Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation to effectively serve Corral Canyon and its neighboring communities. The CCFSA is a voice for community matters and is dedicated to bringing residents and government agencies together when it comes to public safety concerns in Corral Canyon and the Santa Monica Mountains.
CCFSA Board of Directors
Steve Breese
President
Bambi Young
Melinda Mendel
Secretary
Kelly Kincaid
Treasurer
John Shafai
Dana Clark
Deborah Rubenacker
Mission
CCFSA is dedicated to protecting Corral Canyon residents and properties from fire. This includes providing support and resources to maintain the Corral Canyon Call Firefighter program and Engine 271. The Call Firefighters serve as first responders to fire and other emergency incidents in partnership with LACoFD. CCFSA continues to respond to the needs of the community, adding resources and delivering information needed to improve fire safety and protection in each neighborhood. CCFSA represents the Corral Canyon community with government leaders and agencies.
Image gallery
History
The Corral Canyon Working Group Committee was formed as a direct result of the major fire that occurred in November, 2007, in which more than 50 structures were lost. Under the guidance and leadership of LA County Fire Chief, P. Michael Freeman and in cooperation with the Los Angeles County Third District Office, the City of Malibu and the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, nine Corral Canyon residents were selected to serve on a committee with the goal of improving public safety and first response efforts. The CCFSA was established in May 2009 as a California Nonprofit Public Benefit Corporation to continue this mission, and the LACoFD Call Firefighter program for Corral Canyon was established in 2010. As part of the agreement between the LACoFD and the CCFSA, the Corral Canyon community provides their own community-funded Fire Apparatus and Fire Station facility. LACoFD maintains the equipment and provides ongoing training for the Call Firefighters in the program. After an extensive application and training process, ten Corral Canyon residents successfully completed the initial Call Firefighter Recruit Academy. These dedicated community leaders have successfully influenced policy changes within the County and City that improved fire safety. They were instrumental in improving road conditions, increasing law enforcement patrols, and persuading the County to adopt and enforce new parking and access restrictions to the top of Corral Canyon during red flag conditions.
Engine 271
The Corral Canyon Call Firefighters continue to train under the direction of LACoFD Station 71 every other weekend. Call Firefighters are ready to respond on a 24/7 basis to emergencies in Corral Canyon. Engine 271 is stationed in the canyon in a temporary facility. Property and funding for construction of permanent station have been secured thanks to generous donations from residents and a public grant through the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority. Progress is being made with permitting and construction.
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As a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, the CCFSA relies on the generosity of our supporters to continue offering fire safety and prevention resources to our community.
With each tax deductible gift received, we will continue to near our goals of eliminating destructive fires and the completion of a permanent building structure for our Fire Station 271.
To make a donation please make your check paid to:
Corral Canyon Fire Safety Alliance
And mail to:
P.O. Box 252, Malibu, CA 90265