Fire Prevention Division

Fire Marshal's Message

The Fire Prevention Division safeguards life, property, and the environment through comprehensive risk-reduction strategies, public education, vegetation management, and enforcement of fire and life safety regulations. The Division advances community resilience through coordinated programs that include wildfire mitigation, fire and life safety inspections, public outreach and education, and plan review and construction inspections to support safe, code-compliant development throughout the City.

Public Education and Community Risk Reduction

Public education is a foundational component of the Division’s Community Risk Reduction (CRR) mission. The Fire Prevention Division actively engages residents, schools, businesses, and community organizations to promote risk awareness, strengthen preparedness, and encourage safe behaviors that reduce preventable emergencies.

Wildfire risk remains the City of Laguna Beach's number one public safety threat, and wildfire prevention education is a central responsibility of the Fire Prevention Division. The Division provides year-round wildfire risk assessments for homeowners and works directly with residents to identify and reduce wildfire-related hazards. Through these efforts, residents are educated on defensible space standards, vegetation management, and home hardening principles designed to reduce the potential for structure ignition and improve survivability during wildfire events.

Additional education initiatives include evacuation readiness, proper use of fire extinguishers, awareness of smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and general fire and life safety practices. Programs are delivered through homeowner consultations, school outreach, community events, safety presentations, and collaborative partnerships across the City. These coordinated efforts strengthen community preparedness, reduce incident frequency, and enhance overall resilience.

Vegetation Management and Wildfire Risk Reduction

The City’s Vegetation Management Program is a critical component of Laguna Beach’s wildfire risk-reduction strategy, designed to protect life and property while preserving the City’s environmentally sensitive coastal landscape.

Fuel Break Program

The Fuel Break Program utilizes targeted goat grazing and hand crews to maintain strategically located fuel breaks along much of the City’s perimeter and within select interior canyon areas. By reducing combustible vegetation, the program decreases potential flame length and radiant heat from approaching wildfires, improving the defensibility and survivability of adjacent homes and neighborhoods. Established more than 30 years ago, the program continues to evolve through the application of modern wildfire-mitigation practices and adaptive land-management strategies.

All vegetation management activities are conducted in compliance with applicable environmental regulations, including the California Coastal Act and other state and federal environmental protection requirements. The program balances wildfire risk reduction with the preservation of sensitive habitats, native ecosystems, and the natural coastal environment that contributes to Laguna Beach’s identity as a premier Southern California destination.

Annual Weed Abatement Program

The Annual Weed Abatement Program addresses invasive weeds and grasses across approximately 400 properties throughout the City. Annual abatement reduces ignition potential and limits rapid fire spread during peak fire season. All identified properties are inspected and verified for compliance by Fire Prevention Division personnel.

Plan Review and Construction Inspections

The Fire Prevention Division conducts plan review and construction inspections for new construction, tenant improvements, and remodels involving multi-family, commercial, industrial, and educational occupancies. Reviews ensure compliance with applicable local, state, and federal fire and building codes, including requirements for fuel modification, fire and life safety systems, fire protection systems, and other fire-code-regulated conditions.

Please Note: Plan review and inspection services for single-family homes, duplexes, and Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs), including associated fire protection systems such as sprinklers and fire alarms, as well as fuel-modification requirements, are administered by the Building Division within the Community Development Department. Please contact that department for additional information.

Fire and Life Safety Inspections

Annual fire and life safety inspections of local businesses, schools, and multi-family residential occupancies are led by Fire Prevention Inspectors and supported by the Fire Department’s four engine companies. Approximately 1,665 inspections are completed each year, including follow-up inspections to verify corrective actions and ensure ongoing compliance with fire and life safety regulations.

State-mandated inspections of schools and multi-family occupancies, including both transient and non-transient residential buildings, are prioritized due to their elevated life-safety risk, occupant load, and regulatory requirements under California law.