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Laguna Beach mayor outlines 8.7-acre fuel‑modification zone and urges faster permitting
Summary
Mayor Alex Runagi discussed a new fuel‑modification zone called FMZ 18 in lower Bluebird Canyon, saying it will cover 8.7 acres, require hands‑on crews and recurring maintenance, and that state permitting under CEQA can take about three years.
Mayor Alex Runagi said Laguna Beach is moving forward with a new fuel‑modification zone intended to slow the spread of wildfires.
"This zone ... will be 8.7 acres," Runagi said, describing the site as FMZ 18 in the lower part of Bluebird Canyon and saying it will connect to other existing fuel‑modification zones. "There will be ... hand crews with chainsaws ... and then after that ... every three times a year, there will be ... follow ups to ensure ... removing the dead vegetation and thinning up to 50% of the native species."
Runagi told host Tom Johnson that he has seen video examples of fuel breaks stopping a fire's progress and called fuel modification "a critical tool in our arsenal." He also said the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) creates a permitting timeline that can delay fuel‑modification work: "it takes around three years to get one of these zones permitted," he said, adding that the delay is unacceptable given wildfire risk.
Tom Johnson noted the city’s fire chief will discuss details with the public: "Fire Chief Nico King is going to be on their government affairs Zoom meeting coming up in a week or two," Johnson said, urging residents and business owners to tune in to hear from the department.
Runagi said the FMZ 18 work will include an initial season of hand crews and continuing maintenance as part of the approval. He also called for state‑level reforms to streamline approvals for fuel‑modification zones and referenced legislation by state lawmakers as a potential path to speed and reduce the cost of permitting.
No formal vote or council action was recorded in this conversation. Johnson and Runagi framed the remarks as an update and a call for public engagement and policy change at the state level.
