COUNTYWIDE : Fire Season Closed, So Areas Reopened
The Orange County Fire Department this month officially closed fire season and reopened four previously hazardous fire areas.
“We’ve had sufficient rainfall and conditions look good,” said department spokeswoman Kathleen Cha. “But that doesn’t mean we wouldn’t close them again if things change. Hot, dry Santa Ana winds could cause closure at any time.”
The areas, which total about 97,000 acres, include unincorporated land and eastern Yorba Linda property between the Los Angeles County line and the Riverside Freeway, the unincorporated and wild-land areas between the Riverside Freeway and the San Diego County line, the unincorporated Irvine Coast area between Newport Beach and Laguna Beach and the unincorporated South Coast area bounded by Laguna Hills on the north and Laguna Niguel on the south.
The four areas are closed each year when fire season begins, usually in May, Cha said.
“The timing all depends on a combination of factors such as weather and fuel moisture, meaning moisture at the root level, not just what you see with the naked eye,” Cha said.
“Fire season goes as long as there is hazard.”
Other areas, such as pockets in Cleveland National Forest, are restricted year-round and are marked as such, he said.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
