“Let It Burn” California State’s Topanga Policy

The January 1 Lachman Fire in Topanga State Park could be seen from Santa Monica.

California State Parks in its Wildfire Management Plan and Local Operating Agreement for Topanga State Park, noted on page 15. “Unless specified otherwise, State Parks prefers to let Topanga State Park burn in a wildfire event.”

That December 2024 policy allowed the January 1 Lachman Fire, which was never extinguished, to rekindle into the January 7 Palisades Fire, which became one of the most destructive wildfires in the State’s history.

It was reported that firefighters knew that the January 1 Lachman Fire was not out, and until now, no one knew why it was not properly extinguished. Fault fell on firefighters, but it appears that they were under State Park’s control and that’s where the blame belongs.

Today, Attorney Roger Behle a partner at Foley Bezek Behle & Curtis received a California State public records request, which included the 102-page Topanga operating manual. click here.

The State’s policy is not to put out wildfires and on page 20, notes “The majority of the park has not burned in over 50 years. To restore the natural fire frequency and chaparral habitats, Topanga State Park should be left to burn within reasonable public safety limits and outside of fire exclusion zones.”

In the case of the Lachman Fire, firefighters were not allowed to decide reasonable public safety limits, instead the state made that determination.

The result? Smoldering embers reignited during a severe Santa Ana event into a massive fire that killed 12 people and destroyed 7,000 structures.

It was widely reported among Palisades residents that bulldozers were not allowed after the Lachman Fire. The reasoning for that is found on pages 33 under Avoidance Areas: “Avoidance Areas where no heavy equipment, vehicles, and retardant are allowed are grouped together and are shaded in red on the attached maps. Avoidance  Area maps will be provided to the IC (incident command) as physical and digital copies.”

The use of heavy equipment in Topanga State Park is further clarified on p. 41.  “The neighborhoods of Castellammare and Pacific Highlands along the southern border are WUI (Wildland Urban Interface) areas and at significant risk during a wildfire event…While wildfire poses a threat, suppression techniques especially with heavy equipment are the main concern and need to be avoided in these areas.”

A state park worker supposedly showed firefighters a map on January 1. The map has never surfaced, but on page 56 of the manual, residents find out why.

“Avoidance Areas should be shared with the Incident Command, but measures should be taken to keep the information confidential, including tracking and collecting physical maps and flash drives handed out, as well as ensuring maps shared with the media do not contain sensitive resource data.”

It further explains “No mop-up techniques are allowed in avoidance areas without the presence of an archeologist READ. Modified mop-up techniques must be implemented to reduce the risk of damaging cultural resources.”

According to this manual, the state’s “proper way to treat Topanga State Park” meant allowing the fire to burn to natural barriers and to minimize spading.

CTN contacted State Parks spokesperson Jo Biswas about the state’s manual that specifies allowing Topanga State Park to burn, specifically when high winds were predicted and people had noticed the smoke from the Lachman Fire scar area. She had not responded by the time this story was posted. If she responds the story will be updated.

Attorney Behle was asked for his reaction after reading the document.  He said, “the State’s ‘let it burn’ policy was both surprising and stunning. . .plants over people.”