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Orange County declares local emergency as airport fire grows; supervisors urge residents to heed evacuation warnings
Summary
The Board of Supervisors unanimously authorized the chair to sign a local emergency proclamation after an airport-area wildfire expanded overnight. County emergency manager Michelle Anderson and local fire chiefs urged residents to register for AlertOC, follow evacuation warnings and use shelters set up for people and animals.
The Orange County Board of Supervisors on Sept. 10 voted unanimously to add and approve an emergency proclamation after an airport-area wildfire grew overnight and threatened nearby canyons and communities.
Michelle Anderson, the county emergency manager, told the board the incident had expanded to about 9,300 acres and that “we are in the process of mobilizing additional law enforcement resources to assist with notifications to the community” and launching alert-and-warning messages. Anderson said evacuation warnings were being prepared for Silverado Canyon and other at-risk neighborhoods and that animal-care teams were assisting with large-animal evacuations.
“We also have a long-term care and reception shelter at Rancho Santa Margarita Bell Tower Regional Community Center and the large-animal evacuation site at the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa,” Supervisor Katrina Foley said earlier during the meeting when staff briefed the board on preparedness steps. Foley also repeated the county’s public information hotline for the incident: (714) 628-7085.
Newport Beach Fire Chief Jeff Boyles, who gave a field update, said the airport-area blaze doubled in size overnight to roughly 8,500 acres and stressed that evacuation notices are issued “thoughtfully and methodically.” “When we say it’s time to go, it’s time to go,” Boyles said, urging residents to leave when authorities advise.
The board’s action authorized Chairman Wagner to sign a proclamation of local emergency and to pursue any necessary coordination with state authorities. Vice Chair Doug Chaffee noted the proclamation was meant to cover immediate response and downstream hazards — including debris, vegetation removal and potential landslide or subsidence risks after the fire is suppressed.
County officials urged residents to register for AlertOC and use ReadyOC resources online for preparedness checklists and shelter information. The board said it would continue to receive operational updates from the county emergency manager and public-safety partners as the incident evolves.
The board carried the proclamation unanimously; the county said it would continue to post evacuation areas and shelter locations and to notify residents through AlertOC and the public information hotline.
