In the months leading up to the catastrophic fires that impacted Los Angeles, Irvine prepared for a potentially devastating blaze of its own. The summer of 2020 left the region parched, creating a tinderbox that was ready to ignite as the notorious Santa Ana winds whipped through at speeds reaching 80 mph. On October 26, 2020, the Silverado fire erupted, igniting an urgent response.
Firefighters quickly mobilized while the city activated its emergency response plan. Residents of Orchard Hills—a master-planned community located at the intersection of urban development and wildlands—were forced to evacuate, uncertain if they would return to find their homes intact.
Orange County Fire Authority firefighters work diligently to protect homes in the Orchard Hills neighborhood during the Silverado fire in October 2020.
Fortunately, all residents were safe. The flames approached the edges of the neighborhood, singeing a few leaves along the perimeter, but miraculously, not a single home was damaged within the community during this fierce blaze.
This remarkable outcome was an unequivocal victory—a testament to the meticulous planning and design of the neighborhood, as well as the comprehensive fire prevention strategies put in place by the city.
As Los Angeles seeks to enhance its resilience against future wildfires, Orchard Hills stands out as a potential model for best practices and strategies.
While there are differences between the two areas—especially since Irvine is a newer city with modern constructions designed with insights gained from numerous devastating fires throughout the years—Orchard Hills can provide invaluable lessons for older communities like Altadena and Pacific Palisades, which feature mature tree canopies and century-old homes intertwined with narrow, winding roads filled with vegetation.
With climate change leading to an uptick in wildfires across Southern California, experts emphasize the importance of analyzing and extracting lessons from successful fire prevention stories.
The roots of Orchard Hills’ fire resistance can be traced back to a century ago when Irvine Valencia Growers established an expansive avocado orchard in the hills above the community. Over the decades, this orchard has evolved into one of the largest avocado producers in the nation, featuring approximately 100,000 trees spread across 800 acres.
This agricultural landscape provides much more than just a source of guacamole; it plays a crucial role in fire management.
“The orchards have a built-in irrigation system, so when a fire starts, the landscape is already watered,” explained Sean Doran, a fire captain with the Orange County Fire Authority.
Doran, who actively fought the Silverado fire, noted that his team benefited immensely from a decade-long partnership between Orchard Hills and the fire authority, initiated when the developer, Irvine Co., broke ground in 2014.
In Irvine, every building plan is subject to review by the fire authority as part of the developer’s conditional use permit.
“It’s inherent in the process,” Doran stated. “If you’re a developer, at some point you’re going to be walking through our door.”
This collaboration between the developer and the fire authority enforces strict regulations on construction practices, which many homebuyers appreciate for the added safety and protection.
Ron Nestor, a resident of Orchard Hills and a senior principal at William Hezmalhalch Architects, recalled noticing a small plume of smoke while walking his dog on the morning the Silverado fire broke out. Within an hour, he was evacuating his home.
Ron Nestor and his dog, Enzo, enjoy their backyard in Orchard Hills, Irvine, following the Silverado fire.
Nestor evacuated for three days, and upon his return, he was relieved to find that his home had sustained no damage whatsoever.
“This is a testament to the comprehensive planning and foresight that went into this neighborhood,” he expressed.
When Nestor decided to move to Orchard Hills five months prior, the community’s fire safety plan, prominently promoted by the Irvine Co. on its website, significantly influenced his decision. This plan resulted from collaboration among the developer, the fire authority, and a third-party fire behavior analyst who assessed wind patterns, topography, and fire history.
Orchard Hills features multiple layers of defense against potential fires, starting with the fuel modification zone—an open area surrounding the neighborhood that can be optimized to minimize fire risk by replacing combustible vegetation with fire-resistant plants. The fuel modification zone in Orchard Hills includes species such as prickly pear
