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Airport Fire
The Airport Fire was a wildfire that burned 24,000 acres (9,700 ha) in the Santa Ana Mountains in Southern California in September and October 2024. The fire destroyed 160 structures in Orange and Riverside counties and caused 21 non-fatal injuries. At its peak, 20,780 structures were threatened by the fire.
The fire was accidentally ignited on September 9, 2024, by Orange County Public Works employees conducting fire prevention measures in the unincorporated community of Trabuco Canyon. It spread towards the city of Rancho Santa Margarita and eastward into the Santa Ana Mountains, where it crossed over the ridge of Santiago Peak into Riverside County.
The Airport Fire forced mandatory evacuation orders in various Southern California communities, particularly in Lake Elsinore and along Ortega Highway where many structures were damaged or destroyed. The incident happened concurrently with the Line Fire in San Bernardino County and the Bridge Fire in Los Angeles County, straining available firefighting resources and creating a smoky, unhealthy air quality that reached as far as Las Vegas. California governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in response to the fires.
On September 9, 2024, an Orange County Public Works crew accidentally ignited a brush fire using heavy equipment in Trabuco Canyon. Two employees were placing large boulders as barriers on Trabuco Creek Road to prevent the public — primarily motorcyclists — from accessing a dry brush area of the canyon with a high fire risk. The employees noticed smoke coming from their vehicle's loader basket, called 911, and unsuccessfully attempted to put out the fire using extinguishers. The Orange County Fire Authority officially classified the fire's cause as "unintentional".
The fire began around 1:00 p.m. on September 9 in the Trabuco Canyon near the Trabuco Flyers Club, a radio-remote controlled aviation club that the fire was named for.
The fire was two miles (3.2 km) from the Forest Service's Trabuco fire station, which was not staffed by Forest Service firefighters or fire engines. The station was instead staffed by a fire engine belonging to the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA). When the OCFA's Engine 18 arrived at the scene of the Airport Fire, it had burned one-half acre (0.20 ha) "in medium brush with a moderate rate of spread", according to Los Angeles Times reporting on OCFA radio communications. The engine crew, who were also forced to treat two people at the scene for smoke inhalation, were unable to keep the fire from spreading upslope.
By 10:00 p.m., the fire had burned approximately 5,432 acres (2,198 ha).
As of October 6, 2024, at 8:03 AM, the Airport Fire in Trabuco Canyon had burned 23,526 acres and was 100% contained. The fire threatened 20,780 structures, destroyed 160, and damaged 34. There were 2 civilian injuries and 20 firefighter injuries reported, with no fatalities.
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Airport Fire
The Airport Fire was a wildfire that burned 24,000 acres (9,700 ha) in the Santa Ana Mountains in Southern California in September and October 2024. The fire destroyed 160 structures in Orange and Riverside counties and caused 21 non-fatal injuries. At its peak, 20,780 structures were threatened by the fire.
The fire was accidentally ignited on September 9, 2024, by Orange County Public Works employees conducting fire prevention measures in the unincorporated community of Trabuco Canyon. It spread towards the city of Rancho Santa Margarita and eastward into the Santa Ana Mountains, where it crossed over the ridge of Santiago Peak into Riverside County.
The Airport Fire forced mandatory evacuation orders in various Southern California communities, particularly in Lake Elsinore and along Ortega Highway where many structures were damaged or destroyed. The incident happened concurrently with the Line Fire in San Bernardino County and the Bridge Fire in Los Angeles County, straining available firefighting resources and creating a smoky, unhealthy air quality that reached as far as Las Vegas. California governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in response to the fires.
On September 9, 2024, an Orange County Public Works crew accidentally ignited a brush fire using heavy equipment in Trabuco Canyon. Two employees were placing large boulders as barriers on Trabuco Creek Road to prevent the public — primarily motorcyclists — from accessing a dry brush area of the canyon with a high fire risk. The employees noticed smoke coming from their vehicle's loader basket, called 911, and unsuccessfully attempted to put out the fire using extinguishers. The Orange County Fire Authority officially classified the fire's cause as "unintentional".
The fire began around 1:00 p.m. on September 9 in the Trabuco Canyon near the Trabuco Flyers Club, a radio-remote controlled aviation club that the fire was named for.
The fire was two miles (3.2 km) from the Forest Service's Trabuco fire station, which was not staffed by Forest Service firefighters or fire engines. The station was instead staffed by a fire engine belonging to the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA). When the OCFA's Engine 18 arrived at the scene of the Airport Fire, it had burned one-half acre (0.20 ha) "in medium brush with a moderate rate of spread", according to Los Angeles Times reporting on OCFA radio communications. The engine crew, who were also forced to treat two people at the scene for smoke inhalation, were unable to keep the fire from spreading upslope.
By 10:00 p.m., the fire had burned approximately 5,432 acres (2,198 ha).
As of October 6, 2024, at 8:03 AM, the Airport Fire in Trabuco Canyon had burned 23,526 acres and was 100% contained. The fire threatened 20,780 structures, destroyed 160, and damaged 34. There were 2 civilian injuries and 20 firefighter injuries reported, with no fatalities.