City officials and public works crews in San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente have spent the last few days touring where the Norte Fire burned hillsides and canyons as it raced through neighborhoods, charred 570 acres, and eventually destroyed six homes.
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The fire that sparked during Santa Ana Winds on Friday is now at 90% containment. Local officials, including some from the Orange County Fire Authority and the county, visited impacted areas to ensure safeguards were in place ahead of rains forecast to start Wednesday night and worsen Thursday morning.
More than an inch of rain is expected in Orange County’s foothill areas, Paul Steward, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in San Diego, said. Temperatures are also expected to be cooler, with coastal areas in the low 70s and areas inland in the mid to upper 70s. The San Bernardino Mountains and parts of the Inland Empire could see more than two inches of rain.
“There is enough cold air to see thunderstorms and decent rainfall rates,” Steward added.
In San Juan Capistrano, City Manager Ben Siegel said his staff has lots going on, including assessing burn areas and putting measures in place to manage stormwater runoff and reduce the potential for mud and debris flows.
Starting Monday, city crews and contractors worked on city-owned property installing straw wattles, silt fencing, and sandbags. They have also cleared storm drain inlets, catch basins, and drainage channels, and removed loose vegetation and debris that could obstruct water flow to drains.
“We’ve brought in additional contractors to help with these efforts and are coordinating with the county to secure additional materials,” said Sean Sabo, a city analyst. “OCFA is also providing personnel to assist with these efforts.”
For privately owned areas, Sabo said the city is working with residents and homeowners to help them prepare. City staff have hand-delivered information outlining the steps residents can take to protect their properties and have also reached out to local homeowner associations to share additional resources and preparedness guidance.
“Our CERT volunteers were also out this morning filling sandbags, which residents in affected areas can pick up,” he said of the city’s Community Emergency Response Team.
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City personnel will be out in the affected areas during the rain Wednesday into Thursday to monitor conditions and respond to any issues that may arise, he said. “We’ve also created a dedicated Norte Fire information and resources webpage with helpful information and additional resources for residents affected by the fire and those living near the burned areas.”
In San Clemente, Mayor Rick Loeffler said he and other city staff walked burned areas of the city on Monday and checked sand berms, catch basins, and drains to make sure they can handle the water flow.
“Most looked to be in good shape,” he said. “There were a couple of spots where they were going to go and do some sandbagging and clearing of brush to open up the basins. There wasn’t too much to do, but there was a little bit they wanted to deal with before the rains start.”
City crews also paid special attention to an area with multiple catch basins, he said. “They wanted to make sure they were clear and in good shape.”
Camille Rainins, who was evacuated from her San Juan Capistrano home on Friday, said she has been “very impressed” with the city’s response. She said she spent most of her time on Tuesday outside talking with city officials from San Juan Capistrano, Dana Point and even Congressman Mike Levin, who toured the area.
“They brought volunteers from CERT to fill sandbags and even had an 18-wheeler that dumped filled sandbags along the Delgado Trail,” she said. “The city officials walked the hillside behind our houses with engineers; they were on top of it. I felt very comforted.”
“They know there will be dirt, debris and waterflow behind us because there are no plants,” she said of the burn scar left by the fire. “They laid the straw waddles — large, long, snake-like reams of straw — to direct the water flow.”
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