FireWise

Community Wildfire Risk Reduction – Factual Update

Recent weather patterns and seasonal conditions are important context for wildfire planning. Southern California is entering a wetter period, with recent rainfall and additional rain forecast into early January. While no single factor eliminates wildfire risk, current conditions are significantly different from peak fire season.

Role of Monarch and Fire Risk Assessments

Monarch previously mapped, identified, and ranked areas of wildfire risk within the community. Those assessments provide a planning foundation. Ongoing wildfire risk reduction now focuses on implementation—such as vegetation management and fuel reduction—rather than repeating completed analyses.
 

Rehiring Monarch would involve additional cost. Community funds can also be directed toward on-the-ground mitigation efforts that directly reduce wildfire fuel on community slopes and open areas.
 

What FireWise Is—and Is Not

FireWise is a valuable program that the community intends to continue using. It is important to understand its role accurately:

• FireWise is a third-party recognition program that certifies specific community actions related to wildfire preparedness.

• It is one component of broader fire risk mitigation strategies that are recommended or required by agencies such as CAL FIRE and the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA).
   

FireWise certification does not replace other required or recommended mitigation measures, nor does it encompass all wildfire risk reduction activities.

​FireWise Certification Status

Laguna Niguel has more than 125 homeowner associations, and currently six have achieved FireWise certification. These include Siena, Encore, and the Marina Hills Master Association.
A city-provided map showing FireWise-certified HOAs is available here:
https://cityoflagunaniguel.org/DocumentCenter/View/2212/HOA-Map-062425-11-x-17?bidId=
 

Discontinuing services from Monarch does not mean the community has abandoned—or will abandon—its FireWise participation or broader wildfire mitigation efforts. FireWise certification is maintained through documented actions and annual requirements, not through the continued engagement of a specific consultant.
 

Grant Applications

It is understood that Monarch may have submitted grant applications related to fire risk mitigation near the Salt Creek wildland area. We have not been awarded a grant for the past three years.  Our HOA is notr a CalFire recognized entity, we had to join a non-profit Fire Safe Council.  We belong to Salt Creek Corridor project which is a group of local HOA's who apply for the CalFire grant together.

 

Ongoing Communication

To keep homeowners fully informed, updates will continue to highlight completed mitigation work and ongoing efforts by the Landscape Committee and other community volunteers.