Last week I have toured by air and by ground the scenes of the Santiago Fire. I’ve seen the charred remains of the homes in Modjeska Canyon—and the home next door that was miraculously saved, by courageous firefighters or by the whim of a wind change. I also saw how the fire reached to the edge of newer developments in Foothill Ranch and Irvine, but how well designed berms and fire-resistant building materials prevented scenes like we’re seeing from San Diego County.

Now the fire has pushed upwards toward the main ridgeline of the Santa Ana Mountains, toward mile-high Santiago Peak, where it will be harder to combat but at least away from populated areas. As of today it has consumed 28,400 acres and 15 homes.

Unusual among California counties, the County of Orange does not directly control its own fire dept. The Orange County Fire Authority is a separate entity, a joint powers authority representing 23 contract cities plus the County. The County of Orange has two seats (Bates, Campbell) on the 25 person governing board. Of the 11 remaining cities, ten cities are served by their own fire departments and La Habra contracts with the L.A. County Fire Dept.
 
Since the fire occurred in unincorporated areas, the OC Fire Authority (OCFA) was the lead agency. Over 1700 firefighters were involved from OCFA, local city fire departments as well as those from as far away as Tucson and Shasta County.

Nearly all county offices have been involved in the emergency effort. The Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is a multi-agency command post operated by the Sheriff’s Dept. I’ve been a frequent visitor, high atop Loma Ridge near Irvine Lake. County Counsel prepared the emergency declaration request, which I signed Monday, October 22, and forwarded to the Governor. The Health Care Agency coordinated relief efforts with the American Red Cross in shelters at El Modena and El Toro High Schools.

The County’s Musick Jail and Joplin Youth Center all had to be temporarily evacuated. Animal Care Services helped evacuate horses and livestock from fire-affected areas and made special efforts to locate owners for stray and runaway pets.

Two county library branches (Silverado and Foothill Ranch) as well as the Bowerman Landfill saw closures during the fire.

There has been criticism that state and federal assistance was slow and bureaucratic, especially in air support. Wind conditions and thick smoke, however, made early air operations hazardous.  The many large fires in San Diego, L.A and San Bernardino Counties all stretched resources.

Orange County is in the middle of an arc of fires stretching 150 miles from Malibu to the Mexican Border charring over 700 square miles—and area of comparable size to all of Orange County. Record drought, heat and encroaching development have left many areas vulnerable.

Arson is suspected as the cause of our fire, and a total of $250,000 has been offered toward the arrest and convection of the suspect. The OC Sheriff’s Dept. is working with the FBI and ATF to investigate and apprehend the arsonist.

The Board of Supervisors ratified a new contract with the Association of OC Deputy Sheriffs (AOCDS) at our last meeting. The 1,800 deputies provide patrol for contract cities plus the unincorporated areas as well as staff the jails. They had been working for over a year without a contract and had been staging slowdowns which had been jeopardizing court operations.

The deputies got a 4.75% over-all raise in the first year, plus enhancements for certain specialized duties. The Board got needed reform to the retiree medical system, with the deputies’ making a greater contribution. This reduces our unfunded retiree medical liability by $140 million. We also got significantly improved oversight over the medical trust fund, which I have personally sought during my entire tenure.

The last two uncompleted links of the OC Freeway system are currently under study but face formidable political and technical roadblocks:

Foothill South Toll Road Extension:

Where: A 16 mile link extending the existing Foothill / Eastern toll road south to connect with the I-5 near San Onofre. The extension lies just within Camp Pendleton Marine Base, which has approved the project.

Cost: $875 million, which would be paid by tolls and developer fees.

Pros: Traffic relief on the I-5. No private property takings necessary. Provides direct coastal access from the Inland Empire. Without the extension, the widening on the I-5 could take 800 home and businesses in San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente.

Cons: Indian Tribes, Sierra Club, Surfriders, State Parks, all decry alleged environmental and cultural impacts.

Status: The Foothill / Eastern Toll Road Authority (on which I am a voting Board Member) is bringing the project before the California Coastal Commission in February.

57 Freeway Extension:

Where: This would continue the Orange (57) Freeway 11 miles south along the Santa Ana River to link up with the San Diego (405) Freeway near South Coast Plaza.

Cost: $2 billion, depending n design alternatives. Would be paid for directly by motorists, as the segment would be part of the toll road system.

Pros: Major north-south traffic relief to the 55 Freeway and surface streets. Last missing link to central OC freeway system. Provides direct freeway access to isolated West Santa Ana neighborhoods. A submerged design could mitigate visual and noise impacts. Freeway could be build without any eminent domain takings—right-of-way already exists. Would create a “Santa Ana River Parkway.”

Cons: Santa Ana and Fountain Valley residents along the route will oppose noise impacts. Sen. Lou Correa’s says proposed park improvements along the Santa Ana River would be incompatible with a freeway. Army Corps of Engineers would have to approve any modifications to the river channel.

Status: By a decidedly mixed 10-4 vote, the Orange County Transportation Authority (OCTA), on which I serve as Vice Chairman, is moving ahead to study alternative designs that would minimize visual and noise impacts on nearby residents. Even some supporters expressed doubts that the segment will ever be built, but a strong majority want all the facts known before taking a final vote on what to do to relieve congestion in the Central Corridor.