Laguna Beach council re‑establishes wildfire mitigation subcommittee, seeks faster action and regional coordination

Laguna Beach City Council voted to reestablish a wildfire mitigation and fire‑safety ad hoc committee and instructed staff and council members to accelerate outreach, legislative work and prioritized actions to reduce local wildfire risk.

Council members said the decision grew out of community concern after recent regional wildfires and from the city’s experience since the 2019 report on community wildfire preparedness. Council member Bob Whelan, who co‑chairs the ad hoc committee, said the city has already spent more than $20 million on safety measures since 2018 but “it is not safe enough,” and called for a faster, broader effort that includes homeowner action and possible new funding measures.

The council directed the committee to compile public input through neighborhood meetings and other outreach, pursue options for quicker fuel‑management and evacuation improvements, coordinate more closely with regional partners and return with a prioritized plan in 90 days. Staff and council members listed near‑term items that could be advanced quickly: expanded fuel‑modification work, clearer communication of evacuation routes and resources, pilot parking limits or construction restrictions during red‑flag days, additional Firewise community outreach, and exploration of legislative fixes (including design exemptions and undergrounding policy changes) to speed larger projects.

In presentations leading up to the vote, staff outlined what they labeled “fast efforts” that could be implemented with existing resources: targeted parking limits on Bluebird Canyon during red flags, limits on construction during high fire danger, evacuation drills and mailers with evacuation‑zone maps, promotion of Firewise neighborhood formation, and an assessment of undergrounding options and funding tools. Staff also described existing city work — expanded helicopter fill capacity, additional fuel‑management zones and building code upgrades for fire hardening — while acknowledging more will be required.

Several members of the public and long‑time local volunteers urged aggressive action. Former emergency‑management volunteers and residents recommended integrating the city’s Emergency Disaster Preparedness Committee into the process, pursuing additional water‑supply and drop‑tank strategies, and exploring neighborhood‑level measures that could affect insurance availability. Council members said insurance availability will be included in the scope of work.

Council approved the recommended action and the updated scope of work, and directed staff and the reconstituted committee to begin public meetings and report back within 90 days with a prioritized implementation plan and potential budget implications.

The council signaled an openness to explore larger funding options in the future and said some measures may require new revenue or regional cooperation. The city manager and fire staff will coordinate the 90‑day work plan and public meeting schedule.