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Lake Forest proclaims wildfire awareness season after Orange County Fire Authority briefing; residents urge continued brush clearance and patrols
Summary
The City Council adopted a proclamation supporting wildfire awareness and prevention after a presentation by Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA). Residents praised recent brush-clearing work at Concourse Park and asked for ongoing evening patrols because of fireworks and juvenile fires.
The Lake Forest City Council adopted a proclamation supporting wildfire awareness and prevention on July 1 after a presentation by Mike Summers, division chief with the Orange County Fire Authority.
OCFA told the council that persistent drought, higher temperatures and severe winds have increased wildfire risks and that the agency is promoting preparedness through public education, emergency planning and preemptive prevention strategies. "OCFA's goal is to help prevent wildfires and to mitigate the threat they pose to Orange County by working collaboratively with our communities," Summers said, and he urged residents to follow the Ready, Set, Go program (ocfa.org/rsg).
The proclamation was followed by public comment from neighborhood volunteers and homeowners. Dana Silva, a Portola Hills resident and member of her community's Firewise Committee, said the city completed prescribed brush removal at Concourse Park the day after she raised the issue at a prior meeting and thanked staff and OCFA for the speed of the work. "We're thrilled," Silva said, adding that "there's about a foot of dry needles left over" near homes and that recent juvenile fires and fireworks have put people on edge.
Silva asked for increased police presence in the evenings at Concourse Park during the holiday period to address fireworks and potential ignition sources. City officials said staff and OCFA are coordinating outreach and upcoming events and that staff would follow up on patrol requests.
The proclamation encourages residents to clear vegetation and combustible materials from homes, prepare a disaster kit and evacuation plan, and close windows and garage doors if wildfire approaches. The council's motion to adopt the proclamation passed with council members present voting in favor and Council Member Yu and the mayor pro tem absent.
The OCFA presentation and the resident requests were scheduled as part of the meeting's presentations and public comment period; city staff noted next steps include continued public education and planned neighborhood events this month to increase preparedness.
