Beginning around 1 p.m. on Monday, September 9, 2024, the Trabuco Canyon wildfire, otherwise known as the “Airport Fire,” has since burned over 23 thousand acres across Orange and Riverside Counties. With a little help from the cooler temperatures in the past two weeks, firefighters have been able to achieve almost 95% containment, with a goal of 100%.
The blaze was initially started by a public works crew operating heavy equipment. Although this was definitely unintentional, the spark grew and was soon dubbed the “Airport Fire” by locals due to its proximity to a remote-controlled airplane airport on Trabuco Creek Road. The blaze grew rapidly, and because of the topography and terrain of the canyon, it has been difficult to fight. Drones with special infrared sensors have been released to conduct aerial surveillance of the fire and detect any new points of heat that could be a threat to the containment lines. Hazardous trees are also being detected and removed.
Residents surrounding the fire were ordered to evacuate the area. Leaving your home might be seen as a sign of giving up, so some residents, despite the raging fire, chose to remain in their homes and disregard the evacuation warnings. Not following evacuation warnings counts as a misdemeanor, so it gave residents a hard choice to make: forfeit all their belongings that won’t be able to fit in their suitcase as they leave, or take a charge on their criminal record and ride the fire out. Locals, not just residents in the evacuated neighborhoods, are also affected, with many road closures surrounding the mountains–making it inconvenient for a commuter through those roads–and many businesses shutting down. As of September 25, 160 structures were burnt by the raging fire, 82 of which were homes. Having all your personal belongings and years and years of memories being swept away and burned by the flames is a nightmare that nobody wants to experience.
Although the fire doesn’t directly impact students at CdM, the orange blaze caught the attention of many. “We didn’t have to evacuate [our house], but some of my family in Ladera Ranch was prepared to, and we would have opened our doors to them if needed,” said senior Meghan De Marinis. “I felt a little worried, especially seeing the ashes around and being so close to the fire,” she added. It’s good that the fire didn’t reach Newport Beach, but that doesn’t mean it went unnoticed. “It felt surreal, like I didn’t know what to say when I saw the fire. I’ve never seen such a fire like this before. I didn’t know what to do,” said senior Lorelei Everhart, watching the fires from Newport Coast.
Thanks to the bravery and determination of Southern California firefighters, full containment is in sight, and most evacuation orders have been lifted as the marine layer and cooler temperatures help combat the fire. However, the frequency of such wildfires has led to much concern with the Airport Fire being only one of three wildfires this week burning more than 10,000 acres in Southern California.