Topanga Arson Watch Seeking Volunteers

A Canyon Chronicle Article 
Published July 29, 2022, at 10:30 a.m.

"Topanga, along with Malibu, Calabasas, Agoura, and Chatsworth, has a volunteer organization called Arson Watch. It is a program under the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department which consists of local volunteers who patrol on Red Flag days throughout the Santa Monica mountains. While most folks think of arson as a demented individual purposely starting fires, most arson is merely the act of a careless individual. This can be careless smoking, tossing a cigarette from a vehicle, unsafe brush clearing, use of off-road vehicles, or electric power line issues.

Arson Watch volunteers are trained in what to spot and how to tactfully advise the public regarding dangerous behaviors during Red Flag events and how to respond when problems are encountered. Arson Watch is funded by grants and generous donations from our local communities, but at its core are its volunteers.

The average Arson Watch volunteer patrols on Red Flag days and has a minimum requirement of only 30 hours per year. A typical year will have up to a dozen Red Flag events. Patrols are on designated routes and take anywhere from two to four hours."

Read the rest of the article at The Canyon Chronicle.