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County declares local emergency as Trabuco Canyon airport fire expands; officials urge evacuations and preparedness
Summary
Orange County leaders proclaimed a local emergency as an airport-area wildfire expanded overnight; emergency managers and fire chiefs urged residents to heed voluntary evacuation warnings, register for Alert OC and use shelters (including large-animal sites at the fairgrounds).
Chairman Wagner opened the meeting by recognizing National Preparedness Month and inviting local fire and emergency leaders to brief the board after a fire in the Trabuco Canyon area that grew overnight.
The county’s emergency manager, Michelle Anderson, told the board the incident had expanded rapidly and asked the supervisors to find that a local emergency exists. "Since this morning's update, the incident has continued to expand so that at this point we are at approximately 9,300 acres," Anderson said. She described new evacuation warnings and said the county was mobilizing law enforcement for community notifications, launching alert messages, and engaging animal-care partners for large-animal evacuations.
Newport Beach Fire Chief Jeff Boyles and OCFA division Chief Coates described the firefight and mutual-aid response. Boyles said the airport fire "doubled in size last night to about 8,500 acres" and warned that Santa Ana winds could worsen behavior, stressing that evacuation warnings are issued "thoughtfully and methodically" and should be taken seriously.
Vice Chair Doug Chaffee and other supervisors praised interagency coordination and emphasized the role of residents in preparedness. Supervisor Katrina Foley repeated practical advice for residents in or near affected areas: "Prepare for the threat, pack your belongings, and follow your action plan to get your family to safety," and reminded the public of an Alert OC hotline and regional shelter information.
Board counsel recommended adding a late agenda item to formally find an emergency under state law and to authorize the chairman to sign a proclamation; the board adopted the addition and unanimously authorized the proclamation. The proclamation covers immediate firefighting needs and anticipated post-fire hazards such as debris removal, landslide and subsidence risks, and animal evacuation support.
The board approved the emergency finding and the chairman signed the proclamation. Supervisors asked staff to continue providing regular updates on evacuations, road closures and reimbursement status for jurisdictions that bore response costs.
The board scheduled follow-up briefings and indicated that related agenda items dependent on closed-session actions would be taken after that session.
