Lake Forest proclaims wildfire awareness season after Orange County Fire Authority briefing; residents request patrols at Portola Hills park

The Lake Forest City Council on July 1 proclaimed a heightened wildfire awareness and prevention season after a presentation by Orange County Fire Authority Division Chief Mike Summers outlining preparedness steps for residents and communities.

In a presentation to Mayor Scott Voigt and the council, Summers said persistent drought, warmer temperatures and strong winds have increased wildfire risk across the region. He promoted the Ready, Set, Go program — advising residents to clear vegetation near homes, assemble disaster kits, and have evacuation plans. Summers also noted OCFA deployments this fire season to several local fires in Orange County and provided a resource link, ocfa.org/rsg.

The proclamation, read by the mayor, declares the city’s wildfire season runs from midsummer through early autumn and urges residents to protect homes, prepare evacuation plans and raise public awareness.

During public comment on the proclamation, Portola Hills resident Dana Silva thanked OCFA and city staff for fast brush removal at Concourse Park after she raised the issue at a June 3 meeting. Silva said crews removed the vegetation OCFA had prescribed “the day after that meeting” and asked for continued cleaning of remaining dry material. She also reported a recent small ground fire near the water tower that had easily flammable materials nearby and asked the city for a police presence during the July 4 period to deter fireworks in the evenings.

Mayor Voigt and council members acknowledged the work, said staff and OCFA had coordinated mitigation, and encouraged residents to report suspicious activity. Councilmember Doug Serbo (commenting from the dais) and other council members thanked Silva and OCFA for quick action.

No formal council action beyond the proclamation was recorded for this specific item; the council earlier approved a motion to consider presentations 1–4, which included the proclamation, and that motion passed with two members absent.

The city encouraged residents to visit OCFA’s Ready, Set, Go resources and to sign up for city emergency notifications; staff said additional outreach and events are planned to raise awareness.

Residents seeking follow up were told to provide contact information on speaker cards so staff could coordinate next steps with code enforcement, police and OCFA.