Preparedness Check: Ensure you have downloaded the Watch Duty App and know your Evacuation Zone.

AlertOC Watch Duty Know Your Evacuation Zone SCE Outage Alerts

South Orange County

Fire Safe Council

California hills

Welcome to

Fire Safe Council of
South Orange County

Firewise USA® Community

Practical local guidance, live alerts, and official resources to help residents reduce wildfire risk and stay prepared.

Take the 10-Min Home Check

Open Resources | Firewise Certificate

Triage & Actions

What do you need right now?

Emergency Info

Fast access to official alerts, evacuation maps, utility shutoffs, and immediate safety tools.

Protect My Home

Learn the critical defensible space zones, hardening tactics, and take our 10-minute readiness check.

Find Documents

Your library for official OCFA plant lists, hazard maps, HOA maintenance schedules, and PDFs.

Browse Resources

Operational Dashboard

Safety & Alert Tools

Specific, verified external tools utilized by our local fire agencies.

AlertOC Texts & calls

Watch Duty Tracking app

Evac Zones Find your map

SCE Outages Shutoff info

Most Critical Zone

Start with the first 5 feet

The immediate perimeter of your home is the #1 vulnerability for ember ignition. Focus your energy here first.

Learn how to fix it

Remove combustible mulch Replace bark or wood chips next to the foundation with gravel or stone.
Clear the base of structures Sweep dead leaves from decks, stairs, and the base of exterior walls weekly.
Relocate stored items Move firewood, lumber, and garbage cans at least 30 feet away.

Learn how to fix it

Community Library

Most-Used Resources

View All Resources

Know Your Evacuation Zone

Find your official zone for rapid evacuation.

Real-time wildfire maps and push alerts.

OCFA Approved Plants (2026)

Target species to remove and safe alternatives.

OCFA Vegetation Recs

Official guidelines for spacing and maintenance.

CAL FIRE Hazard Map

Fire Hazard Severity Zone reference map.

Firewise Certificate

Our community's active recognition status.

Why we prepare

Community Risk Snapshot

South Orange County borders dense wildland areas. These three primary factors aggressively increase our local wildfire risk.

Wind

Santa Ana wind events can drive embers miles ahead of a fire front, bypassing traditional fire breaks entirely.

Vegetation

Dry native chaparral and unmaintained slopes act as rapid, explosive fuel sources during peak fire season.

Topography

Fires move aggressively uphill. Steep canyons and limited access roads complicate evacuation and fire response.

Explore Community Risks

Firewise in Action

Being a Firewise USA® community means our neighbors take a structured, ongoing approach to local safety.

We continually assess local wildfire risk
We maintain a multi-year mitigation action plan
We share practical, actionable homeowner guidance

Learn About Firewise

Community Action

Local community volunteers clearing brush

Local Action

Neighbors conducting a community brush clearance day.

We rely on neighbors

Wildfire safety doesn't happen alone. Connect with us to volunteer, submit photos of mitigation work, or stay actively updated on our local efforts.

Explore all volunteer opportunities

Alerts & Evacuation

Speed and clarity save lives. Bookmark these official tools to stay fully informed during critical fire weather.

Know the Difference: Warning vs. Order

Evacuation Warning

There is a potential threat to your area. Be ready to leave. Those who require additional time to evacuate, and those with pets or livestock, should leave immediately.

Evacuation Order

There is an immediate threat to your life and safety. Leave now. Do not delay to gather belongings. Follow directed evacuation routes.

Critical Rule: If you feel threatened, do not wait for an official order. If you see or smell fire approaching, leave immediately.

Official Safety Tools

AlertOC

Official mass notification system for Orange County alerts.

Watch Duty App

Real-time mapping and push notifications powered by active dispatchers.

SCE Outage Alerts

Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) warnings and outage maps.

ReadyOC

County disaster preparedness and go-bag checklists.

Critical Knowledge

Know Your Evacuation Zone

Evacuation orders are issued exclusively by zone number. You must know your specific zone before an emergency happens.

Before Fire Weather

When a Red Flag Warning is declared, take these steps:

Ensure phones are charged and alert volumes are ON.
Place your Go-Bag by the front door or in the car.
Back your car into the driveway for a clear exit.
Verify you know how to manually open your garage door.

Official Evacuation Guide

Review CAL FIRE's official steps to pack your go-bag and prepare your family for a safe exit.

View CAL FIRE Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

Where do I sign up for alerts?

Your primary source is AlertOC. Also register for SCE Outage Alerts. For early warnings, we recommend the Watch Duty app.

How do I know if my area is evacuating?

Evacuations are issued by Zone Number. Look up your zone on the Lake Forest Evacuation Map. Authorities will announce specific zone numbers that must leave.

Should I leave sprinklers running?

Absolutely not. Leaving hoses on drains municipal water pressure. Firefighters need that pressure for their equipment to actively defend homes.

Browse Resources & Downloads

Protect Your Home

Dive into the structural zones, home hardening, and landscaping choices that protect your property from ember attacks.

1. 10-Minute Home Check

Check items off to get a quick score. Your progress is saved securely on this device.

Readiness Score

0%

2. Zone 0: The First 5 Feet

The 0-5 foot radius immediately surrounding your home is the most vulnerable area to ember ignition. Keep it completely clean and noncombustible.

Critical Zone 0 Actions

Remove all bark, wood mulch, and leaf litter.
Do not store firewood, stacked lumber, or garbage cans here.
Remove combustible planters and outdoor furniture pads.
Do instead: Create a noncombustible strip (gravel, pavers, bare soil).

Defensible Space Zones diagram

3. Zones 1 and 2

Moving outward from the home, the goal is to reduce fire spread by spacing out vegetation.

Zone 1

5 to 30 feet: Spacing

Use hardscape breaks (walkways, patios) to interrupt vegetation.
Keep shrubs in separated groups. Avoid continuous hedges.
Remove "ladder fuels" (low branches that let fire climb).

Zone 2

30 to 100 feet: Maintenance

Remove dead or dying vegetation and accumulated litter.
Keep grasses maintained to a maximum of 4 inches.
Maintain irrigation systems and fix leaks promptly.

Vegetation Clearance on Slopes

OCFA recommended vegetation clearance on slopes

Spacing guidance for hillside communities where fire moves faster.

Horizontal Spacing Guidance

OCFA recommended horizontal vegetation clearance on slopes

Spacing between shrub groups and trees (canopy to canopy).

4. Home Hardening Basics

Embers exploit weak points in a building's exterior. These structural fixes reduce ignition chances.

Vents

Screen vents with 1/8-inch (or 1/16-inch) metal mesh to stop embers.

Gutters

Clean gutters regularly; consider installing metal gutter guards.

Windows

Ensure closed tight. Upgrading to dual-pane tempered glass reduces breakage.

Decks

Keep area clear of combustibles under decks and wooden fences.

5. Landscaping and Plants

Not all plants burn the same. Avoid highly flammable species and choose fire-resistive alternatives.

Highly Flammable Plants

Certain plants contain oils or wax that burn explosively. Partial list of hazards to avoid:

• Eucalyptus
• Cypress
• Pine Trees
• Juniper
• Pampas Grass
• Arborvitae
• Palm Trees

Warning: Check official OCFA list for all target species.

OCFA Approved Plant List

Download the official list of fire-resistant plants recommended for our area.

Download PDF List

Looking for more downloads?

Browse All Resources

About Us

We are a grassroots coalition of neighbors working together under the national Firewise USA® framework to make South Orange County safer.

The Local Council

Who is the Fire Safe Council?

The Fire Safe Council of South Orange County is a community-led, volunteer-driven organization. While we work closely with the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) and local city governments, we are your neighbors.

Our mission is to bridge the gap between official agency guidelines and actual neighborhood action. We focus on education, grant facilitation, and organizing community brush-clearance days to proactively defend our shared borders.

Powered by Firewise USA®

Our local council utilizes the national Firewise framework to structure our efforts, identify risks, and take practical actions.

What is Firewise?

Firewise USA focuses on the Home Ignition Zone - your home and everything within 100 feet. Embers can ignite homes even when the fire is far away.

Why it matters here

Due to our location in the WUI, maintaining this recognition helps unify neighborhood efforts and can assist with insurance qualifications.

How the Program Works

1

Organize

Form a committee, identify a resident leader, confirm boundaries and homes.

2

Plan

Complete a Community Wildfire Risk Assessment and build a 3-year action plan.

3

Do

Execute education and mitigation actions identified in the plan each year.

4

Tell

Submit annual renewals tracking community investment hours.

Our Action Plan

A central piece of our recognition is a multi-year action plan. This prioritizes ongoing risk reduction steps, targeted education, and home hardening goals.

View Action Plan

Our Certificate

A key requirement is documenting community investment: tracking volunteer hours and dollars spent on risk reduction to renew recognition.

View 2025 Certificate