In the wake of the Palisades Fire, the authorities of Malibu are pleading with residents of Los Angeles and visitors to return to the Pacific Coast neighborhood. This is because many companies are struggling to remain profitable in the aftermath of the fire.
Former Mayor Mikke Pierson of Malibu referred to the current event as “unprecedented times,” to put it mildly.
In addition, Pierson, who is now employed by the local Chamber of Commerce, mentioned that a great number of mom-and-pop stores that were able to survive the fires are experiencing a reduction in their business operations as a result of the closing of the Pacific Coast Highway.
“It’s an unexpected situation that they wouldn’t burn down but that they would bleed to death,” Pierson explained to reporters.
A month after the fires, the town was forced to undergo more hardships, such as mudslides that filled the streets and swamped buildings. In spite of the fact that it survived the fires, the Malibu institution that is Duke’s restaurant was subsequently swamped with dirt and debris. According to the mayor of Malibu, the businesses that have been able to reopen are experiencing a loss of revenue that ranges from fifty to eighty-five percent.
Reopening PCH, according to him, is essential to Malibu’s continued existence.
“We’re having regular conversations with the county, with the LAPD, Sheriff’s Department and so forth,” Mayor Doug Stewart stated in an interview. “Potentially, the end of May is what the colonel with the Army Corps has said.”
In a statement that was similar to what was reported by other companies, the proprietor of Malibu Brewing Company expressed satisfaction that they had survived the fire; but, a number of other problems are causing a decline in sales.
“After the fires, we weren’t really impacted from the smoke or damage but really we lost utilities,” Ryan Ahrens, the business’s proprietor, said. “With PCH being closed, we lost a lot of traffic access, which continues to be the issue today.”
Malibu businesses face major losses after Palisades Fire.
