Laguna Beach Moves Forward with $2.5 Million in New Wildfire Safety Measures

Laguna Beach is preparing to invest nearly $2.5 million in a new wave of wildfire mitigation projects and public safety upgrades, following a staff presentation to the City Council last month.

An ad hoc committee, originally formed to guide wildfire prevention strategy in 2019, was reestablished in January to update the city’s Wildfire Mitigation and Fire Safety Report. By May, staff reported that 24 of the original action items had been completed and 16 others were still underway.

The new version of the report expands the plan to 76 total initiatives, covering areas such as community education, evacuation readiness, vegetation management, infrastructure improvements, and public safety technology.

Millions Already Spent on Fire Safety

To date, about $3 million has been used for related projects, leaving roughly $2.2 million available in the city’s wildfire mitigation fund.

Public safety officials are pushing several short-term priorities, including an expansion of the outdoor emergency warning system. The estimated $200,000 project would add more sirens and speakers across Laguna Beach.

“We conducted a test of the outdoor warning system and performed a gap analysis,” said Sarah Limones, the city’s emergency operations coordinator. Volunteers and staff spread throughout the city reported whether they could hear or understand the test messages from various locations including indoors, outdoors, and even inside vehicles.

The results, Limones said, will be plotted on a map to identify where additional sirens and speakers are needed.

Police Tech Upgrades and Drones for Fire Detection

The Laguna Beach Police Department received approval for several technology investments:

• $424,000 for a stand-alone dispatch console at the new Emergency Operations Center in South Laguna,

• $375,000 for drone technology to assist first responders, and

• $350,000 to install a remote-controlled traffic signal priority system.

Police Chief Jeff Calvert said the drones, capable of reaching incident scenes within 90 seconds, would be stationed on rooftops around the city. The idea, modeled after a successful program in Chula Vista, would give officers and dispatchers “real-time situational awareness” before arriving on scene.

“On red flag days, drones can use thermal imaging to spot hot spots,” Calvert said. “Right now, volunteers and CERT members walk through the wilderness areas looking for signs of fire. The drones can do this faster and more efficiently, scanning large areas in minutes.”

Educating Residents on Evacuation Readiness

The Council also authorized a new part-time community preparedness educator, with a salary between $60,000 and $70,000, to help residents better understand evacuation plans and emergency readiness.

Fire Chief Niko King said many residents still aren’t sure which evacuation zone they belong to.“Just knowing a couple ways out of your neighborhood can make a huge difference,” King said. “We want someone dedicated to helping residents have those conversations and be ready for the next emergency.”

Utility Undergrounding Moves Forward

City staff also reported progress on undergrounding power lines along Coast Highway, a key evacuation route. The city plans to use $7.3 million in credits from the California Public Utilities Commission to fund the work.

“We were informed that Southern California Edison finally received the Caltrans permit for the Coast Highway project,” said Public Works Director Mark McAvoy. “That permit had been stuck for quite some time. There’s still a bid and contract process to go through, but the train has left the station, and we’re very encouraged.”