Fire Authority Plans Controlled Burn

To reduce the likelihood of wildfire, the Orange County Fire Authority will conduct a 250-acre prescribed burn today in the Baker and Black Star canyons area.

Weather permitting, the Fire Authority will run a small test burn in the area Monday to monitor fire and weather conditions. Barring problems, the controlled burn is scheduled to start Tuesday morning and last through Friday.

Fire Authority Capt. Scott Brown said prescribed burns are designed to help prevent or reduce the chance of wildfires like the one in Laguna Canyon in 1993. Burning dead and dying vegetation in an area reduces the amount of fuel available and also improves wildlife habitat, he said.

“We have a long history of devastating fires,” Brown said. “The main intent of this is to reduce the chance of a large fire.”

The burn area has been struck several times by wildfires. The 1967 Paseo Grande fire burned 48,600 acres and destroyed 61 homes, while the Gypsum fire of 1982 scorched a total of 16,600 acres and ruined 10 homes.

By conducting the exercise in the Baker and Black Star canyons area, fire officials hope to help prevent fire that might travel into the Silverado Canyon community.

Fire season begins May 1, and the situation this year is especially volatile, Brown said, because the area has received little precipitation in 1997.

“Conditions are extremely hazardous,” he said. “There’s a lot of fuel.”

He encouraged residents to clear buffer areas around homes, to trim plants and foliage, and to clean gutters and rooftops.

Information: (714) 744-0496.