As uncontrolled Airport fire spreads, so do evacuations
Good morning. It’s Wednesday, Sept. 11. I’m Carol Cormaci bringing you this week’s TimesOC newsletter with a look at some of the latest local news and events.
Unintentionally sparked by heavy equipment when an Orange County Public Works crew placed a load of boulders, the fast-moving Airport fire began about 1 p.m. Monday near a field for remote-controlled airplanes off Trabuco Canyon Road, advanced up the Santa Ana Mountains and, before long, its flames and black smoke put potentially vulnerable area residents on notice that it might be time to pack up and find safe haven.
It was almost hard to fathom that what started out a small fire that was immediately called in could grow so fast, from a half-acre when firefighters first arrived to about 300 acres by early evening Monday. During a press conference at 4 p.m. Tuesday news outlets were told it had reached more than 10,000 acres and was still growing.
In its report on the fire, the L.A. Times reported the Orange County Sheriff’s Department encouraged residents living along Rose Canyon, Trabuco Creek and Trabuco Canyon roads, Trabuco Oaks Drive, Joplin Loop and Cook’s Corner to evacuate. Homes in the Robinson Ranch and Trabuco Highlands communities in Trabuco Canyon were under mandatory evacuation orders. The Trabuco Highland apartment complex was also under mandatory evacuation orders.
City News Service reported Ortega Highway was closed between Grand Avenue and Nichols Institute, where what had been voluntary evacuation warnings were escalated into mandatory evacuations along the highway near Caspers Park.
In Riverside County, evacuation orders were in place in areas near the fire zone that fall north of the San Diego County line, south of Lake Elsinore near the base of Ortega Highway and west of South Main Divide Road/Grand Avenue, CNS reported.
Orange County Fire Authority Fire Chief Brian Fennessy noted during Tuesday afternoon’s presser that even with more than 1,000 fire personnel fighting the Airport fire, resources were limited because of other wildfires consuming swaths of the Southland, including the rapidly growing Bridge fire in the Angeles National Forest and the Line fire in San Bernardino County, which had consumed more than 27,000 acres.
The local conflagration was 0% contained, Fennessy said, but the good news was that no homes or other structures had been consumed, at least not as of 4 p.m. Also, he reported there had been no loss of communications, which had been a worry as the fire advanced up Santiago Peak where radio and television broadcast towers serve not only the media but government agencies.
The Times is certain to keep abreast of the news on this fire, so be sure to watch for its coverage in the coming days.
MORE NEWS
• For nearly two years, following up on a tip to the Daily Pilot from one of its readers, my colleague Sara Cardine has been looking into some curious handling of taxpayer funds on the part of a joint powers authority that provides insurance for school districts through a risk-sharing pool. Let’s just say the JPA has been opaque. In the course of her still ongoing investigation, Sara recently learned some stakeholders in the Rancho Santiago Community College District “found” about $8 million in funds that its board of trustees did not know was held in the district’s name. Where had it been hiding during lean years when it could have been earmarked for good use? In the hands of the JPA itself, according to this in-depth story the Pilot ran in Sunday’s paper.
• If the story mentioned above intrigues you, you’ll also want to dig into Sara’s sidebar story on two former Rancho Santiago administrators who not only oversaw matters related to insurance and risk management for the district but also had deep ties to the JPA that predated the time the local community college district joined it. They were in essence serving two masters, one source told the reporter.
• The hammer continues to drop on Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do, long embroiled in a controversy over allegations of corruption. Yesterday, his colleagues on the Board of Supervisors removed Do from a host of county committees and commissions, The Times reported. While the Board of Supervisors have asked him to resign before his term ends in December, they cannot oust him themselves, according to Supervisor Katrina Foley, who told City News Service that would be a move that could only be handled by state authorities.
• The brutal heat experienced over the past several days led to the death of a runner who died after collapsing at the finish line of Disneyland’s Halloween Half Marathon on Sunday morning. The Times reported the man crossed the finish line of the race at around 7 a.m., clutching his chest. A volunteer caught him before he collapsed, according to Anaheim Police Sgt. Matt Sutter. The runner was identified as Bobby Graves of Garden Grove, who went by his middle name, Caleb. He was just 35.
• Another story with Disneyland at it center about one of its “cast members” who recently championed for her Disney union, Workers United Local 50, and has since decided to throw her hat into the ring for a seat on the Anaheim City Council. According to TimesOC, Cristal Ruiz, 34, began working at the amusement park selling churros when she was a 17-year-old high school junior.
• It’s still in the early stages, so there’s no need to make reservations yet, but an entity named Back Bay Barrels LLC is proposing to build a 7-acre surfing lagoon —with automated waves on command — on part of the Newport Beach Golf Course. The proposal also includes construction a 50-foot-tall three-story building that will contain food service, retail space and fitness facilities, as well as a 45-foot-tall two-story building to provide overnight accommodations for athletes. The Newport Beach City Council recently voted to move ahead with an environmental impact report on the proposal.
• After hearing from concerned residents addressing both sides of the issue, the Buena Park Planning Commission recently voted 4-0 to recommend to the City Council a proposal to develop 93 Spanish colonial-style townhomes across from the Buena Park Mall where an Orchard Supply Hardware formerly stood.
• Ceremonial groundbreaking took place Friday morning at Costa Mesa Fire Station No. 4, where the city’s 57-year-old fire training tower is coming down and a new one will soon be built. The new building is being made possible with $3.5 million in city capital improvement funds and $2.5 million of state budget funding, according to city officials.
PUBLIC SAFETY & COURTS
• Angela Kathryn Mirabella, the owner of a Huntington Beach-based company, was convicted last week of identity theft in an alleged $6-million nationwide student loan fraud scheme. Jurors deadlocked on 62 other counts against the 49-year-old Mirabella, including conspiracy, computer access and fraud, identity theft, grand theft and money laundering. A hearing is set for Oct. 25 to consider sentencing and a retrial on the remaining counts. The jury deadlocked 10-2 for guilt on some counts and 11-1 for guilty on other counts.
• The mother of the 3-year-old girl who died Friday afternoon after being locked in a Ford Expedition with her in Anaheim during triple-digit weather was booked for alleged involuntary manslaughter and neglect. After emergency responders worked to rescue the two, police found several empty alcohol bottles in the vehicle.
• A 33-year-old male pedestrian sustained fatal injuries in a collision with a vehicle that was being driven in the 20600 block of Laguna Canyon Road at about 5 a.m. Thursday. The man was crossing the road toward a shelter for transients when he was struck by the car, police said.
• An Amazon delivery truck collided with a Toyota Sienna on Bolsa Avenue at Graham Street in Huntington Beach at around 10 a.m. Sunday, resulting in the death of a man and a woman who had been traveling in the Sienna. The victims were identified as Wayne Nicholas Graffia, 61, from Garden Grove and 62-year-old Louise Davis Foster of Anaheim.
SPORTS
• Mater Dei’s football team dominated Las Vegas Bishop Gorman from the start Friday night in front of more than 8,000 fans in Santa Ana Stadium, The Times reported. The final score was 31-15. Mater Dei remains undefeated against teams other than Trinity League rival St. John Bosco since the start of the 2016 season.
• The Daily Pilot reported on the Laguna Beach High’s home game Friday night against Kennedy High, which the Breakers won, 51-Zip. Laguna’s football coach, John Shanahan, told reporter Matt Szabo he believes this year’s team could be the best in program history. Center Charlie Kelly said afterward, “We played like it was a CIF championship game every single play tonight, and I couldn’t be more proud of our team.”
LIFE & LEISURE
• Members and leaders of Orange Coast Universalist Church in Costa Mesa gathered on a recent Sunday in a two-story building on the campus slated to be torn down to make way for a new $3-million sanctuary. But there’s far more to the story, according to this feature by Sara Cardine, as the building served as a welcoming shelter and hub for 139 Ukrainian refugees fleeing their war-torn cities. “The shelter, which has been a symbol of resilience and unity, concludes its operation this month, making way for the construction of the new sanctuary,” Rev. Sian Wilshire told the congregants. Ukrainian guests who had been sheltered following Russia’s invasion of their country were invited to write messages on the soon-to-be-demolished walls.
• Hoping to make a dent in the quest to find a solution to homelessness, a creative fundraiser is taking place at Irvine Spectrum, the Daily Pilot reported over the weekend. Project Playhouse auctions off structures created by teams of home builders to benefit Homeaid OC, a nonprofit that helps develop shelters as well as permanent housing for people who need them. The playhouses will be on display beneath the Ferris wheel at the Spectrum through Oct. 5. Admission to tour them is $5.
• Unbeknownst to me until this weekend when it was reported in TimesOC, foodies are singing the sweet praises of Dubai chocolate bars, and some O.C. businesses are getting in on the TikTok craze by serving up the goodies, some priced as high as $20 each. The TimesOC story lists four local places where they can be found, three of which are in Anaheim: Le Mirage Pastry, Knafeh Café and Sweetheart Dessert Lounge. The fourth is Jerusalem Roastery in Garden Grove.
CALENDAR THIS
• The Orange County Children’s Book Festival will be held on the campus of Orange Coast College, 2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa, on Sunday, Sept. 22. This event for children of all ages features authors, illustrators, booksellers, animals, storytellers, costumed characters, train rides, crafts, food and entertainment and more. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission and parking are free. A list of the featured authors can be found here.
• Flower Street between Civic Center Drive and Santa Ana Boulevard in the Downtown Santa Ana Historic District will be the venue this weekend, Sept.14 and 15, for the Fiestas Patrias, an event to celebrate the local Latino community. Hours Saturday are noon to 11 p.m.; on Sunday the fiesta will be held from noon to 10 p.m. The festivities include a parade and street fair, vendors, cultural exhibitors, live music and carnival rides.
• The 25th annual Sunset Beach Chili Cook-off, sponsored by the Sunset Beach Woman’s Club, is planned for Saturday, Sept. 21, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Sunset Beach Community Center, 16861 12th St. Live music will be performed by Cat Reed and the Back Alley, and the event will also include food vendors, an auction and an opportunity drawing. The goal is to raise funds for student scholarships, according to organizers who hope to assist 20 students with this year’s proceeds. Tickets, which can be purchased at the door or via Eventbrite, are $20, with children under 5 admitted free.
Until next Wednesday!
Best,
Carol
KEEP IN TOUCH
I appreciate your help in making this the best newsletter it can be. Please send news tips, your memory of life in O.C. (photos welcome!) or comments to carol.cormaci@latimes.com.
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