Laguna Fire (1993)

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Coordinates: 33°31′59″N 117°45′58″W / 33.533°N 117.766°W / 33.533; -117.766
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This article is about the 1993 wildfire in Orange County, California. For the 1970 wildfire in San Diego County, California, see Laguna Fire.
Laguna Fire
Across a road, dark smoke and the occasional flame rise above the limb of scrubby hills.
The Laguna Fire seen from the Pacific Coast Highway on October 27, 1993
Date(s)
  • October 27, 1993 (1993-10-27) –
  • October 31, 1993 (1993-10-31)
  • (5 days)
LocationOrange County, California, United States
Coordinates33°31′59″N 117°45′58″W / 33.533°N 117.766°W / 33.533; -117.766
Statistics
Burned area16,864 acres (6,825 ha; 26 sq mi; 68 km2)
Impacts
Deaths0
Non-fatal injuries8
Evacuated≥24,500
Structures destroyed441
Damage
  • $528 million
  • (equivalent to about $1,006 million in 2023)
Ignition
CauseArson
Map
A map of the roughly rectangular fire perimeter (with several protrusions) in orange, showing surrounding communities and highways.
The footprint of the Laguna Fire
A dot marks the location of the Laguna Fire in the context of California (along the coast in Southern California.
A dot marks the location of the Laguna Fire in the context of California (along the coast in Southern California.
The general location of the Laguna Fire in coastal Southern California

The 1993 Laguna Fire or Laguna Canyon Fire was a destructive wildfire in Orange County, California. After igniting on October 27, the fire burned more than 16,000 acres (6,500 hectares) and destroyed hundreds of homes in Laguna Beach and Emerald Bay before it was fully contained on October 31. There were no fatalities, but the fire forced almost 25,000 people to evacuate and caused approximately $528 million in damage, becoming one of the most costly fires in United States history. It was part of a larger outbreak of wildfires that week in Southern California, largely driven by Santa Ana winds.

Background[edit]

The vegetated wildland areas of Orange County are naturally prone to wildfires. The steep terrain and naturally flammable vegetation are conducive to fire spread, which can be augmented by Santa Ana winds—seasonal hot and dry katabatic winds.[1][2]: 1–3  This was the case for the Laguna Fire, during which sustained windspeeds of 40 miles per hour (64 km/h)[2]: 16  and gusts of up to 92 miles per hour (148 km/h) were recorded.[2]: 3  Prior to the Laguna Fire and the other concurrent wildfires in Southern California, there had also been six years of drought conditions. These were followed by a wet winter in 1992–1993, which let grass and brush grow before it dried again in the hot summer of 1993. The sequence left much dead and dry vegetation to burn.[3][2]: 2  A proposed controlled burn to reduce the built-up fuels several years earlier had never been carried out.[4] In addition to these factors, human development in the wildland–urban interface aided fire spread. Many homes were built in vulnerable locations and out of flammable materials (like wood shingle roofs and siding).[2]: 3–4 

Progression[edit]

October 27[edit]

The Laguna Fire was first reported near Laguna Canyon Road[5] via 911 calls at 11:50 a.m. on October 27. When firefighters reached the scene several minutes later, the incipient wildfire was burning two acres (0.81 hectares) of vegetation on unincorporated county land,[6][2]: 10  but it quickly moved into thicker brush and intensified, with flames up to 25 feet (7.6 m) tall.[2]: 10  As winds increased and firefighters recognized the fire was getting away from them, they tried to muster more resources: at 12:08 p.m. the operations section chief asked for eight air tankers, and a minute later the fire department requested 90 fire engines to deploy along the wildland-urban interface in Laguna Beach itself.[2]: 10, 13–14  The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) notified Orange County that all available aircraft had already been summoned to major wildfires burning elsewhere.[7]

By 12:28 p.m., the fire had split into three separate fronts, threatening El Morro, Emerald Bay, and Laguna on their march to the Pacific Ocean. The fire's behavior had also intensified: flame lengths were routinely 40–50 feet (12–15 m) and occasionally reached 200 feet (61 m) into the air. As the fire reached Emerald Canyon, burning the upper part of the drainage at the rate of 100 acres (40 ha) every minute, firefighters recognized the impossibility of defending the homes within the canyon with their limited resources and withdrew.[2]: 14–15  Air tankers, delayed by the other ongoing major fires, arrived at 1:40 p.m. Their utility was hampered by low visibility, so they could only drop water and fire retardant on the flanks of the fire instead of the surging head. Homes began to burn in Emerald Bay by 2:00 p.m.[2]: 15–16 

Cars parked askew near a beach to the right of a thin line of flame on the horizon, with translucent plumes of smoke filling the sky.
The Laguna Fire burning on October 27

Shortly before 2:45 p.m., recognizing the expanding scope of the fire's threat, the incident commander "decentralized and delegated authority" to lower rungs of leadership, allowing firefighters to pick and choose which targets they thought they could save. The overall objectives became saving lives among the hilly residential neighborhoods and protecting downtown Laguna Beach itself. The fire reached the El Morro mobile home park and destroyed 44 trailers there.[2]: 16  Firefighters were stretched so thin that California Highway Patrol and local police officers had to operate fire hoses.[8]

In the afternoon, firefighters began a firing operation on the west side of Laguna Canyon Highway, seeking to deprive the fire of fuel and prevent it from crossing the road to the east. They were unsuccessful, and the fire jumped across the road, establishing itself there while demonstrating behavior so extreme that fire officials observing via helicopter recommended that Laguna Beach itself be evacuated. As law enforcement undertook that process, the fire reached the neighborhood of Canyon Acres, having traveled 1.25 miles (2.01 km) in only 17 minutes (a speed of more than 4.4 miles per hour (7.1 km/h)). Firefighters established new primary lines of defense within the city itself. The fire reached the Incident Command Post that had been established at Thurston Middle School, destroying a dozen classrooms as firefighters quickly lit more firing operations to protect the Top of the World neighborhood.[2]: 17–18 Around 4:30 p.m., the fire was burning four structures every minute. With more than 200 homes ablaze, it also threatened institutional buildings like Laguna Beach High School and Laguna Beach City Hall.[2]: 19  A group of city employees used water hoses to defend the city hall and the auxiliary generator (which was powering the city's emergency communications system at the time) from embers cast down on the wind. As the wind shifted, the fire front moved away from the building and the threat to downtown Laguna Beach lessened.[9]

A woman looks at the camera with her mouth open, in front of a car parked on the side of the road. Behind her, thick smoke rises from a line of low hills.
The Laguna Fire from the Pacific Coast Highway on October 27

At some point late in the day, the state's Office of Emergency Services announced that the Laguna Fire had become the top priority in the entire state.[8] Meanwhile, the evening finally saw progress against the fire. At 5:30 p.m. firefighters began firing operations along Newport Coast Drive between Bonita Canyon and the Pacific Coast Highway to stop the fire's advance towards Newport Beach.[2]: 20  An hour later, the fire had burned a total of 11,500 acres (4,700 ha).[2]: 20  Near 10:00 p.m., the winds shifted: the downslope Santa Ana winds lessened and were replaced by offshore flow. This caused the fire to move towards Irvine.[2]: 16 [a] By 10:30 p.m. the fire was declared 30 percent contained;[8] firing operations along Newport Coast Drive concluded by 11:10 p.m.[2]: 21  Fire officials declared a 'turning point' near midnight, aided by calmer winds and a moist marine layer moving inland.[4]

October 28–31[edit]

By morning, the fire was 60 percent contained.[11] Throughout the day, bulldozers constructed firebreaks on the fire's north side between the community of Turtle Rock and Laguna Canyon Road, and firefighters continued with firing operations. Meanwhile, the fire itself burned in Bommer Canyon and Shady Canyon. By 6:00 p.m., the Orange County Fire Authority's report suggests that the whole fire was "roughly contained," but not officially so.[2]: 21 

On October 29, California governor Pete Wilson visited Laguna to walk the disaster area as marine troops from nearby Camp Pendleton hunted through destroyed structures for bodies, finding none.[12] The Laguna Fire was declared 100 percent contained at 6:00 p.m. that evening,[2]: 19  but was not declared 100 percent controlled until 6:00 p.m. on October 31.[b][5][14][2]: 19  The total burned area came to 16,864 acres (6,825 ha).

Seasonal rains in early November caused mudslides in Laguna Beach. Just 0.25–0.5 inches (0.64–1.27 cm) of rain fell during the first storm, but the fire-denuded slopes gave way and the resulting mudslides damaged more than two dozen homes and multiple vehicles.[15]

Cause[edit]

Arson was named as the cause by the chief of the Orange County Fire Department,[16] but no perpetrator or motive was ever identified. Fire investigators examined the fire's point of origin, which they determined was 80 feet (24 m) from Laguna Canyon Road. They found no physical evidence of an ignition source—such as a power line or a cigarette butt—and based on these facts ruled out any chance of the fire starting accidentally. Construction had forced traffic to slow at the time of the fire's ignition, and investigators speculated that the arsonist was in a vehicle, following up on that line of thinking by contacting motorists who had been in the area even as they filtered through hundreds of tips by phone in the weeks following the fire.[17] A $50,000 reward was also posted.[18] Orange County fire officials wound down the active investigation by mid-1994, having not identified the person responsible.[19]

In September 1994, a Jose Soto Martinez was arrested for starting several small fires in Fullerton. After his arrest, Martinez confessed to having also set the Laguna fire, providing investigators with "surprisingly accurate" details. Orange County's district attorney held a press conference following the confession, announcing the arrest and charges against Martinez and declaring that they had found the man responsible for the Laguna Fire. However, it quickly came to light that Martinez suffered from delusions and had been interned in a Mexican prison at the time of the fire. Prosecutors swiftly dropped the charges against him for the Laguna Fire in particular.[19][20]

Effects[edit]

The Laguna Fire caused zero fatalities and eight injuries.[2]: 19  The number of people affected by evacuation orders and warnings included the entire population of Laguna Beach, or roughly 24,500 people.[5][16][21]

The fire destroyed 441 structures.[22] Orange County's sheriff, Brad Gates, deemed the fire the worst in Orange County history.[8] California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection records indicate that at the time the fire was the sixth most destructive wildfire in California history,[23] since surpassed by many others.[24] The fire resulted in $528 million in property damage.[2][25] A 2012 list by the National Fire Protection Association of the 25 largest fire losses in United States history, adjusted for inflation, placed the 1993 Laguna Fire at No. 15.[25] Laguna Beach lost 286 homes. By the summer of 1996, 46 percent of those destroyed homes had been rebuilt, and 83 percent of those who had lost their houses had applied to rebuild them. In Emerald Bay, which saw 63 homes destroyed, 50 were rebuilt or were under construction.[26] By 1997, 231 of the destroyed Laguna Beach homes had been rebuilt or were under construction.[27]

The Orange County Board of Supervisors had declared a local emergency at 4:00 p.m. on October 27; the local state of emergency was renewed several times at two-week intervals as the deleterious effects of the Laguna Fire (and others in the county) persisted. California governor Pete Wilson declared a state of emergency in Orange County (among others) the following day, and at Wilson's request President Bill Clinton also issued a Declaration of Major Disaster for California. This allowed the Federal Emergency Management Agency to offer aid in the affected counties, including Orange.[2]: 25–26 

County and municipal improvements[edit]

According to the Laguna Beach County Water District, approximately sixteen million U.S. gallons (sixty-one million liters) of water was required to help combat the fire, with a peak demand of roughly 20,000 U.S. gallons (76,000 L) per minute. Six of 22 reservoirs in the district were completely drained by firefighting operations. Following the fire, the district built an additional two reservoirs and purchased backup generators and pumps.[28] A Los Angeles Times investigation after the fire found that water capacity had generally not been a limiting factor during the fire; instead, it had been the distribution system. In the Skyline and Mystic Hills neighborhoods, pumps were able to deliver 4,400 U.S. gallons (17,000 L) per minute to reservoirs there, but firefighters there could use 90,000 U.S. gallons (340,000 L) per minute. In other areas, as homes burned, the pipes inside them broke and added to the water pressure issues.[29]

The city of Laguna Beach and Orange County authorities made efforts to improve their fire prevention and response abilities after the 1993 fire. In addition to building two new reservoirs, the city strengthened building codes by requiring that new homes not have wood shingle roofs, cover eaves, and include automatic sprinkler systems.[30] The fire department received new specialized fire equipment, including engines and hoses. Laguna Beach also expanded an existing vegetation management program, using 600 goats year-round.[27] The Orange County Fire Authority began operating two water-dropping helicopters, hired a forecaster for fire weather, and constructed two remote weather stations.[30][22]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Onshore winds blow from a body of water towards/over land, while offshore winds blow in the opposite direction: from the land towards the water.[10]
  2. ^ 'Containment' and 'control' of a wildfire are technical terms used by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). A wildfire is contained when it is completely encircled by control lines (including fire breaks, burned-out areas, and natural features). A wildfire is controlled when it is contained and has been extinguished such that it no longer threatens to spread any further.[13]

Citations[edit]

  1. ^ Fovell, Robert (October 23, 2007). "The Santa Ana Winds FAQ". UCLA Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences. Archived from the original on October 19, 2022. Retrieved December 8, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w Holms, Larry J. (1993). Orange County Firestorm 1993: October 26 – November 4 (PDF) (Report). Orange County Fire Department. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 7, 2022. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  3. ^ "Brittle brush and hot whipping winds feed fires". The Desert Sun. Gannett. Los Angeles Daily News. October 28, 1993. p. 4. Retrieved December 11, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b Ferrell, David; Malnic, Eric (October 29, 1993). "Losses Climb as Fires Still Burn". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 20, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  5. ^ a b c Cardine, Sara (February 10, 2022). "Emerald fire stokes memories of 1993 Laguna Beach blaze that displaced hundreds". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 24, 2022. Retrieved September 13, 2023.
  6. ^ Alderton, Bryce (October 24, 2013). "'People were coming out of their houses, which were on fire...'". Daily Pilot. Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 15, 2023. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  7. ^ Brazil, Jeff; Landsbaum, Mark (December 4, 1993). "Idle Choppers Badly Needed in Laguna Fire". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 21, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  8. ^ a b c d Trounson, Rebecca; Brazil, Jeff; Reyes, David (October 28, 1993). "300 Homes Destroyed in O.C." Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 17, 2023. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  9. ^ Brazil, Jeff; Wilgoren, Jodi (October 30, 1993). "For Whatever Reason, Heart of Laguna Beach Unscathed: Fire: Whether it was a shift in winds, quick action by some city workers or just a quirk, downtown is spared". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 19, 2023. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  10. ^ Ackerman, Dr. Steve (1995). "Sea and Land Breezes". Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies. University of Wisconsin. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved October 12, 2023.
  11. ^ Gross, Jane (October 29, 1993). "THE CALIFORNIA FIRES; Couple Races the Inferno, and Wins". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on January 18, 2018. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  12. ^ Reinhold, Robert (October 29, 1993). "The California Fires; Firefighters Gain Footholds Amid Ashes". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on January 18, 2018. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  13. ^ Hassan, Adeel (July 28, 2022). "Wildfire Terms Defined: What It Means When a Blaze Is 30 Percent Contained". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on June 30, 2023. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
  14. ^ Mydans, Seth (October 31, 1993). "Californians Relieved as Winds and Fire Subside". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on January 17, 2018. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  15. ^ Kennedy, J. Michael; Earnest, Leslie (November 12, 1993). "Laguna, Malibu Hit by Mudslides: Weather: Season's first storm brings little rain, but sends scorched hillsides tumbling. Hard winter is feared". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 16, 2023. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  16. ^ a b Reinhold, Robert (October 28, 1993). "Thousands Flee As Brush Fires Rake California". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on December 7, 2022. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  17. ^ Brazil, Jeff (November 9, 1993). "Evidence Hard to Come By in Laguna Blaze". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 15, 2023. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  18. ^ Pickel, Mary Lou (November 11, 1993). "Firefighters Hit the Streets for Leads to Laguna Arsonist". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 15, 2023. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  19. ^ a b Lait, Matt; Granberry, Michael (October 6, 1994). "Charges Dropped in Laguna Arson When 'Confession' Is Proved Bogus". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 27, 2023. Retrieved September 27, 2023.
  20. ^ "Arson Case Dropped In a California Blaze". The New York Times. Associated Press. October 6, 1994. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on September 20, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  21. ^ "RURAL, SUBURBAN WILDFIRES SWEEP SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA". The Washington Post. October 28, 1993. Archived from the original on November 1, 2023. Retrieved November 1, 2023.
  22. ^ a b Ourlian, Robert (October 25, 1998). "Once Burned..." Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 11, 2023. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
  23. ^ "20 Largest California Wildland Fires (By Structures Lost)". California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. 2001. Archived from the original on October 31, 2001. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
  24. ^ "Top 20 Most Destructive California Wildfires" (PDF). California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. October 24, 2022. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 5, 2023. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
  25. ^ a b "Deadliest/large-loss fires". National Fire Protection Association. 2012. Archived from the original on July 23, 2012. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  26. ^ Earnest, Leslie (July 17, 1996). "Laguna Under Construction: Near 3rd Anniversary of Firestorm, Half the Houses Destroyed Are Rebuilt". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 10, 2023. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  27. ^ a b Reyes, David (October 27, 1997). "Laguna Beach Fire Victims Still Struggling to Rebuild". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 10, 2023. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
  28. ^ "1993 Fire Storm". Laguna Beach County Water District. Archived from the original on June 7, 2023. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
  29. ^ Platte, Mark; Brazil, Jeff (November 14, 1993). "Water Pressure Burned Laguna". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on September 19, 2023. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
  30. ^ a b Ritchie, Erika I. (October 27, 2018). "On 25th anniversary of Laguna Beach Fire officials say they are much better prepared for a similar threat". Orange County Register. Archived from the original on November 7, 2018. Retrieved September 15, 2023.
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