Latest news with #NikoKing
USA Today
10-07-2025
- USA Today
13-year-old suspected of lighting fireworks that ignited Southern California brush fire
A 13-year-old boy was arrested for allegedly lighting fireworks that likely sparked a brush fire this week in coastal Southern California, prompting evacuations and causing power outages in the area, authorities said. The blaze, dubbed the Rancho Fire, ignited at about 2:06 p.m. local time on July 7 in the hillside area of Laguna Beach, the city said in a statement. The fire scorched through dry brush and vegetation in the area and grew to about four acres, threatening nearby canyon homes, according to the Orange County Fire Authority. Preliminary reports said the fire may have started from illegal fireworks, the Laguna Beach Police Department said in a statement on July 8. As the blaze spread along the hillside of Rancho Laguna — a neighborhood located above the village area that overlooks the Pacific Ocean — police said witnesses reported "seeing a juvenile in the area possibly involved in setting off fireworks." Laguna Beach police rangers initially detained two juveniles who were later determined to be witnesses, not suspects, according to police. Officers later obtained video evidence that they said showed a "juvenile suspect lighting a firework and fleeing the scene." After further investigation, police said they identified the suspect as a 13-year-old boy and obtained search warrants for his arrest and the seizure of electronic devices. The boy was then taken into custody on suspicion of felony reckless burning of forest land. "Due to the absence of any injuries or immediate threat to structures, Orange County Juvenile Hall would not accept the suspect for booking," according to police. "He was processed at the Laguna Beach Police Department and released to the custody of his parents." The case will be submitted to the Orange County District Attorney's Office for review and the possible filing of criminal charges, police added. Laguna Beach, a tony Southern California city known for its vibrant beach scene and art gallery district, is about 50 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles. As of 2024, the city has a population of more than 22,500 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. 2025 got off to a deadly start: How bad will wildfire season be in the US this year? Laguna Beach fire fully contained by July 9 Laguna Beach police said detectives were continuing to work with the Laguna Beach Fire Department and the Orange County Fire Authority to investigate the fire's origin. About 200 firefighters, five helicopters, two planes, and drones were used to battle the blaze, said Laguna Beach Fire Chief Niko King. While no injuries or damages were reported, the blaze forced the evacuations of about a hundred homes in the Arch Beach Heights neighborhood, according to Laguna Beach Mayor Alex Rounaghi. The fire broke out in the Bluebird Canyon area, which had been recently approved for fuel-reduction work through hand crews, the mayor said in an update on July 7. In addition to the evacuations, several roads were closed, and the city reported an intermittent loss of power in the area. The evacuation order was lifted at around 7:30 p.m. on July 7, according to the city. The fire, which was mapped at 4.6 acres, was fully contained by 8 a.m. on July 9, and all roads that had been closed were reopened to traffic, the city said. Laguna Beach officials have spent $25 million over the past several years in compliance with a 2019 fire mitigation plan, the Los Angeles Times reported. Following the Palisades and Eaton fires in Los Angeles County earlier this year, city officials updated the plan and aimed to improve fire safety. "The effectiveness of the City's fuel modification zones (FMZ) was also evident, with vegetation clearing along the ridgeline helping to slow the fire's progression," according to the city. "Notably, the FMZ closest to the fire was recently approved and installed." Wildfire season: Western US braces for fiery Fourth Blaze comes amid heightened fire risk The Laguna Beach fire had put residents on edge after a series of blazes devastated parts of Los Angeles County earlier this year. The blaze was one of more than a dozen wildfires that sparked across California in recent weeks, according to the latest Cal Fire data. A fast-moving wildfire in central California, called the Madre Fire, became the largest in the state so far this year. The fire broke out on July 2 and scorched through a remote area in southeastern San Luis Obispo County. As of July 9, the Madre Fire had grown to over 80,600 acres and was about 62% contained, according to Cal Fire. The National Weather Service in Los Angeles warned on July 9 that high temperatures between 95 and 105 degrees were expected in inland areas. The agency noted that there was an "elevated to brief critical fire danger" for interior and southwest Santa Barbara County. "Dangerous heat possible next Tuesday through Friday, especially away from the coast," the weather service said in a post on X. "There will also be elevated fire weather concerns with an increased risk of grass fires in the mountains, deserts, and interior valleys." Contributing: Anthony Robledo, USA TODAY
Los Angeles Times
09-07-2025
- Los Angeles Times
Laguna officials point to fire mitigation efforts, mutual aid as keys to successful Rancho fire response
Following a rapid response Monday afternoon to put out a brush fire allegedly started by a 13-year-old igniting illegal fireworks in Laguna Beach, city officials lauded the success of prior mitigation efforts taken and teamwork across multiple agencies. The Rancho fire, which burned 4.6 acres on a hillside near the intersection of Morningside Drive and Rancho Laguna Road, had reached 95% containment as of Tuesday evening's meeting of the City Council, where leaders of the community's public safety departments gave a rundown of operations since the blaze broke out just after 2 p.m. on Monday. 'We're very fortunate that there were no other active incidents going on in Southern California,' Fire Chief Niko King said. 'It's pretty unique to have an active vegetation fire threatening homes, put out those resource requests, and get every single resource request filled.' When a social media video surfaced of a youth lighting a firework that wound up in the adjacent brush, community members notified authorities. 'They saw what occurred, and we were immediately receiving notifications and video that they saw what they believed was the start of the fire,' Police Chief Jeff Calvert said. 'Our Laguna Beach police detectives, OCFA arson investigators, along with Laguna Beach fire department arson investigators all came together and worked to identify the suspect — unfortunately, a 13-year-old kid — and within 12 hours, authored and executed a search warrant and took him into custody.' Police rangers also detained and questioned two additional minors. Both were determined to be witnesses to the incident, not suspects. Orange County Juvenile Hall did not accept the suspect for booking, police said, citing an absence of injuries or immediate threat to structures. The Laguna Beach police department processed the suspect and released him to his parents. City Manager Dave Kiff was among those attending Tuesday's City Council meeting who expressed a feeling that the community 'got off a little easy,' although fire mitigation efforts, including fuel modification via vegetation management and helicopter refilling tanks were contributing factors in addition to favorable weather conditions. King said firefighters saw flame lengths that were approximately 50 feet tall on the steep slope. A fuel modification zone that aided in slowing the spread of the fire had recently been completed, city officials said. 'One of our fuel modification zones worked as it was supposed to,' King added. 'The flames quickly died down, and it was about that time — probably only about seven or eight minutes into the incident — where the first helicopter resource arrived and made a water drop and put it perfectly where it was supposed to, protecting the properties. … 'The water district gets a lot of credit. They called me within just minutes after we reported the fire [and] said, 'Chief, what do you need?' They asked if we needed those HeloPods active. They had both of them in service, and we heard directly from the pilots about the 90-second turnaround time that they had to fill and return to the fire with five working helicopters.' Councilman Bob Whalen noted air coverage has become essential in fighting wildfires and called on city staff to learn about how the county's resources are deployed. 'We need to make sure that there's always 24/7, 365 days a year air resources, at least some air resource capability in south Orange County,' he said. Evacuation orders were issued for several neighborhoods, including residents at Baja Street, Katella Street, La Mirada Street and Summit Drive. An evacuation warning was also given to residents south of Del Mar in Arch Beach Heights. A care and reception center was set up at the Laguna Beach Community and Susi Q Center. Sarah Lemonis, the city's emergency operations coordinator, said it was staffed by members of the community services department and community emergency response team (CERT) volunteers. Public information was distributed through several update videos, as well as via Nixle and AlertOC communications, Lemonis added. The messages included information regarding evacuations and road closures. There was a push from the City Council dais for residents to sign up for local alerts. Whalen said a couple of people were given calls to let them know they had to evacuate. 'It's still amazing to me how many people are not signed up for the Nixle alerts, the alerts you get from the city,' said Whalen. 'There must have been 10 of them [Monday] afternoon between 2 and 5.' Road closures helped navigate emergency vehicles toward the fire and facilitate evacuations. Inbound traffic from Dana Point was diverted at Crown Valley Parkway and southbound vehicles on Coast Highway were redirected from the downtown area onto Laguna Canyon Road. The city distributed a media release on Wednesday morning declaring the Rancho fire had been 100% contained and all roads had been reopened. 'This is a terrifying incident for our community, but we've been preparing for this since [the devastating 2018 Paradise [fire] and putting together the wildland fire mitigation and fire safety subcommittee and really investing in our community on wildfire mitigation,' Calvert, the police chief, said. 'We saw the results of that, and the team effort that I saw [on Monday] was nothing short of outstanding. 'Do we have room to improve? Of course, but we'll take this. I told my team this was a test for us, and we're going to get better from here, but our officers were on scene within minutes of this being reported, and they were immediately coordinating resources and asking for mutual aid.' Other agencies that responded to the incident included Anaheim fire and rescue, Cal Fire, CERT, the Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Orange County and Los Angeles County fire departments, the Orange County Fire Authority, the Orange County Sheriff's Department, the Irvine police department, O.C. Parks, and the Laguna Beach County Water District. Laguna Beach put forth its initial wildfire mitigation and fire safety plan in 2019. The city reestablished an ad hoc committee to focus on the plans in January as wildfires in the Los Angeles area renewed concerns among residents that more needed to be done. 'We have two refillable water stations on the ridge and soon to have a third one in South Laguna,' said Councilwoman Sue Kempf, who was appointed to serve on the committee along with Whalen. 'It's really a force multiplier. It really allowed us to get at that fire very, very quickly. 'Since 2019, when we did our fire mitigation and fire safety plan, we've spent about $25 million, and I think we're going to spend another three to four [million dollars] this coming year, which is a drop in the bucket when you figure if we had a catastrophic fire here, we're going to have a loss in the millions.' Kempf added that the city is looking at technological solutions, including the use of artificial intelligence cameras and the installation of a traffic signal priority system to coordinate signaling across Coast Highway. Hallie Jones, the newest member of the council, credited previous iterations of the governing body for making 'hard choices at times.' 'The fuel modification program, specifically, that's an expensive program, and it's a controversial program,' Jones said. 'They're hard, nuanced decisions that this council makes, and we don't always see the benefit of those decisions until a decade, 15 years later. 'I really want us to all take a moment and think about what happened [Monday], and what could have happened … if we didn't have a council … that was brave enough and courageous enough to make some of these unpopular decisions that proved to be so critical and so important.'
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Brush fire prompts evacuations in Laguna Beach; investigation ongoing
First responders have stopped a brush fire that prompted evacuations in Southern California, authorities said, putting residents on edge after a series of blazes devastated the region earlier this year. The fire began in the city of Laguna Beach at about 2:15 p.m. local time on July 7 and grew to four acres, threatening nearby homes, according to the Orange County Fire Authority. The cause of the fire has not been confirmed, though an active investigation is underway. Laguna Beach, a tony Southern California city known for its vibrant beach scene and art gallery district, is about 50 miles southeast of downtown Los Angeles. It has a population of more than 22,500 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Crews halted the fire from expanding further at 5 p.m., Laguna Beach Mayor Alex Rounaghi confirmed at a news conference. Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Sean Doran said the forward progress was stopped at about four acres, the Orange County Register reported. The fire is not fully contained, with Laguna Beach Fire Chief Niko King adding that crews expect to battle the blaze for the next 24 to 48 hours. He clarified that hand crews would be working through the night to prevent reignition. "They have to go through meticulously and put out all the embers. They've lined the entire perimeter of the fire with a hose line and they're going to make sure they start working from the outside in," King said. By around 7:30 p.m. local time, the City of Laguna Beach announced that all evacuation orders due to the fire had been lifted. The city advised residents to return to their homes with caution as firefighting personnel and resources were still working in the area. The city also reported that there was intermittent loss of power in the area, which was estimated to return at about 9:30 p.m. All public roadways are open as of the evening of July 7, according to Laguna Beach Police Chief Jeff Calvert. "We're working toward containment so this fire doesn't take off again within a couple of days," King said at the news conference. Rounaghi said officials will review the situation and discuss how the city could prepare for future blazes, adding: "The question is not if but when the next wildfire happens." "We have to continue to remain vigilant and learning for best practices of how we keep everyone safe in this community," he said. Laguna Beach officials have spent $25 million over the past several years in compliance with a 2019 fire mitigation plan, the Los Angeles Times reported. Following the Palisades and Eaton fires in Los Angeles County earlier this year, city officials updated the plan and aim to improve fire safety. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Laguna Beach fire prompts evacuations as investigators probe cause
Daily Mail
07-07-2025
- Climate
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Laguna Beach residents evacuated as massive brush fire threatens California homes
A fast-moving hillside fire erupted Monday afternoon in a residential area of Laguna Beach, California prompting evacuation orders and snarling traffic on major coastal routes as firefighters rushed to contain the blaze. The fire started around 2:15pm near Rancho Laguna Road and Morningside Drive, in the hills above Fernando Street Park. Officials quickly issued evacuation orders for residents on La Mirada Street, Katella Street, Summit Drive, and Baja Street, while those in the Arch Beach Heights neighborhood were placed under evacuation warning. Laguna Beach Fire Chief Niko King said the flames were advancing quickly and posing a direct threat to nearby homes. Crews from the Orange County Fire Authority joined local firefighters in launching a coordinated ground and air assault to slow the spread. Aircraft made water drops while firefighters on the ground defended properties in the fire's path. Update #RanchoFire #LagunaBeach 1,5 acres, winds are light, fixed wing and copters holding the perimeter. Ground firefighters making good progress, struc protection holding deck streams keeping fire below the ridgeline. — Kevin Takumi (@KevinTakumi) July 7, 2025 New Brush Fire in Laguna Beach. View from my place. — Grace Chong, MBI (@gc22gc) July 7, 2025
Economic Times
07-07-2025
- Climate
- Economic Times
Laguna beach brush fire today: Homes threatened, evacuations ordered near rancho laguna road
Smoke from the wildfire near Rancho Laguna Road spreads across Laguna Beach, California. Photo credit - X : Chris Cristi A brush fire broke out in Laguna Beach, California, on Monday afternoon, July 7, 2025. The fire started at 2:16 PM in a hilly area near Morningside Drive and Rancho Laguna Road, north of Fernando Street Park, as per the reports. According to Laguna Beach Fire Chief Niko King, the fire was spreading fast uphill and was threatening homes nearby. Emergency officials ordered evacuations for the following streets, La Mirada Street, Katella Street, Summit Drive, and Baja Street, as per the OC Register report. ALSO READ: McDonald's Spicy McMuffins launch July 8, 2025: Full menu details & snack wrap return Arch Beach Heights was placed under evacuation warning only, not full evacuation yet. As per Watch Duty, a wildfire monitoring nonprofit, the fire had reached about 1.5 acres by 2:50 City of Laguna also confirmed that the brushfire was reported near Rancho Laguna Road and Morningside Drive. A Level 3 warning was active at the time, as per the Hindustan Times report. Ground fire crews were sent for structure defense, and aircraft were brought in to drop water or retardants on the fire. A Care and Reception Center was set up at the Community & Susi Q Center, 380 3rd Street, for people who had to leave their homes. As of now, the cause of the fire is still unknown, as per the OC Register report. ALSO READ: Trump's student loan forgiveness overhaul may block immigrants, transgender support groups & more — here's what's changing Q1. Where did the Laguna Beach fire start today? The brush fire started near Morningside Drive and Rancho Laguna Road in Laguna Beach, California, on July 7, 2025. Q2. Which areas were evacuated in the Laguna Beach fire? Officials ordered evacuations for La Mirada Street, Katella Street, Summit Drive, and Baja Street, with a warning for Arch Beach Heights.
