Firefighters help in area blaze containment

Andrew Edwards

Several Laguna firefighters left the city this week to help battle

blazes that scorched Southern California at the onset of fire season.

Laguna crews joined forces with firefighters from other cities at

two separate wildfires: the “Eagle” fire, south of Temecula; and the

“Cerritos” fire, south of Corona.

Locals assigned to the Eagle Fire were Capt. Steve Rening,

Engineer Chris Kent and Firefighter Crissy Teichman.

Laguna personnel dispatched to the Cerrito fire were Battalion

Chief Jeff LaTendresse, Capt. Jim Dempsey, Engineer Gary Ganger and

Firefighter Ken Tew.Firefighters at the Orange County Fire

Authority’s Emerald Bay station remained in town, Fire Authority

Capt. Stephen Miller said.

When fire crews are sent to wildfires, they usually stay on

assignment for 24 hours and then go to base camp, Capt. Dan Stefano

said.

Laguna firefighters were at camp waiting for orders on Wednesday.

The city has firefighters to fill the gaps left by those battling

the wildfires, and sending out firefighters does not impede crews’

abilities to respond to hometown emergencies, Stefano said.

“As far as the city goes it’s pretty seamless,” he said.

The beginning of fire season was declared across Orange County on

Monday, three weeks earlier than last year. Forestry officials blamed

unseasonably hot temperatures and dry vegetation for causing

dangerous fire conditions.

“We’re seeing conditions that we don’t see until much later in the

summer,” Forestry Department spokeswoman Janet Marshall said.

Another reason for the heightened fire hazard is a bark beetle

infestation that has transformed healthy trees into dead wood.

“They are just ripe to burn,” Stefano said.

Around Laguna, the beginning of fire season means wilderness areas

in the Laguna Canyon and Aliso Woods Canyon areas will be closed,

Stefano said.

Crystal Cove Park will remain open, Miller said.

Four other fires burned this week. The Cachumo Fire, which raged

near Santa Ynez, was the only blaze that had not yet been completely

contained. Firefighters waged successful battles at a fire in Camp

Pendleton, one near Lake Elsinore and another called the “School”

fire in the Riverside County city of Aguanga.