Malibu — Why LA County Flooded Phones With Alerts in Bryson Fire

Los Angeles County blanketed phones across Malibu with emergency alerts during Thursday's Bryson Fire, a sharp reversal from the delayed warnings blamed for deaths in the 2018 Woolsey Fire and the January 2025 Palisades and Eaton fires, according to the New York Post. Some residents called the response reassuring. Others said the volume of alerts made it hard to tell which warnings demanded they leave immediately.

How big is the Bryson Fire and where did it start?

The Bryson Fire ignited around 4:41 p.m. Thursday near Encinal Canyon Road on Malibu's western edge, the Post reported. By Friday it had burned 146 acres, with more than 414 emergency personnel assigned and containment at 17%. Two evacuation zones were under mandatory orders, while 12 additional zones carried evacuation warnings, according to the outlet.

146 acres burned. Containment at 17%. More than 414 personnel on scene. Two mandatory evacuation zones, 12 under warning.

Why is LA County sending out so many alerts now?

County officials shifted from near-silence during past fires to activating every available warning channel this week, the Post reported. Santa Ana winds threatened to spread the Malibu blaze quickly, prompting authorities to issue warnings across a dozen zones beyond the two under mandatory evacuation, according to the outlet.

What went wrong in the 2018 Woolsey Fire and the 2025 Palisades and Eaton fires?

The Woolsey Fire tore through the same Malibu-area mountains in 2018, destroying more than 1,600 structures and killing three people, the Post reported. Some residents learned the fire was approaching only through frantic calls from neighbors; others didn't grasp the danger until they saw or smelled smoke, according to the outlet. A county review afterward found officials lacked a coordinated evacuation strategy and had failed to use all available warning systems, the Post reported.

Seven years later, when the Palisades and Eaton fires erupted in January 2025, a separate review again found emergency alerts were delayed and confusing, according to the outlet. That same week, the county's warning system also misfired when an evacuation notice intended for Calabasas and Agoura Hills reached areas it was not meant for, the Post reported.

Are residents saying the new system has gone too far?

The wave of mandatory-evacuation and evacuation-warning notices this week left some fire survivors prepared and relieved, while others said they struggled to sort urgent alerts from precautionary ones, according to the Post. Cars jammed narrow canyon roads as residents moved to evacuate at the same time, the outlet reported.

What is the current status of the fire?

As of the Post's report Friday, containment stood at 17%, with two zones under mandatory evacuation and 12 under evacuation warning.

Timeline

• November 2018: Woolsey Fire destroys more than 1,600 structures and kills three people in the Malibu-area mountains.
• January 2025: Palisades and Eaton fires expose delayed, confusing alerts; a Calabasas/Agoura Hills warning is sent in error.
• Oct. 15, 2026, 4:41 p.m.: Bryson Fire ignites near Encinal Canyon Road.
• Oct. 16, 2026: Containment reaches 17%; two mandatory zones and 12 warning zones remain active.

Glossary

• Mandatory evacuation order: A directive requiring residents to leave immediately because of imminent danger.
• Evacuation warning: A notice that conditions may soon require evacuation; residents are told to prepare to leave.
• Containment percentage: The share of a fire's perimeter that firefighters have controlled.
• Santa Ana winds: Strong, dry offshore winds that can rapidly spread wildfires across Southern California.