Newsletter
Fire Maps & Other Newport Beach Updates
Spring is here, and so are the long-awaited fire safety maps.
Table of Contents
Featured Posts
April 1, 2025
The City’s Trash Interceptor is finally operational, after years of collaborating with other agencies for permitting and funding. This innovative, sustainably powered system is expected to capture 80 percent of the 100-500 tons of floating trash and debris that has reached the Upper Newport Bay via the San Diego Creek every year.
New Fire Maps
On March 24th, the State released the new Fire Hazard Severity Zone Maps, the first update for Orange County in fourteen years.
These maps evaluate “hazard,” not “risk.” Hazards are based on physical conditions that create expected fire behavior over a 50-year period without considering short-term modifications. Risk is the potential damage a fire can do to the area under existing conditions, including fuel reduction projects, defensible space, and ignition resistance building construction.
For those residents that live within the existing 2012 or the newly proposed, Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone, the Newport Beach Fire Department recommends to “harden your home” by taking steps to prevent ember intrusion as well as providing defensible space around the home by creating a “non-combustible” area (from 0-5-feet from the foundation).
The City cannot decrease the level of fire hazard severity zone as identified by the State Fire Marshal but residents are encouraged to review the maps, get more information, and submit public comments on the City’s website linked on the right. For more information on home hardening, defensible space, and other wildfire mitigation items, please visit the City’s Wildfire Mitigation Programs also linked below.
3rd Thursdays
Beginning on April 17th and repeating on the 3rd Thursday of every month thereafter (5-8 pm), this business and resident-driven initiative will serve as an electric showcase of our dynamic district, promoting local commerce and community engagement. What began as a grassroots effort has blossomed into an official event series supported by Visit Newport Beach and the Corona del Mar Chamber of Commerce.
Residents and visitors can expect open businesses throughout the corridor offering giveaways, discounts, food specials, live music, group classes, fire station and other open houses, art exhibitions, family and pet-friendly activities, pop-ups and much more, all in the ocean-air setting of our charming Village.
All are invited to participate in this ongoing event designed to foster magic and memories, inspire vibrancy, and strengthen community bonds, reinforcing Corona del Mar as an unparalleled place to live and work. Join us to walk, taste, and discover.
Safety Spotlight: Cameron Hutzler
Captain Cameron Hutzler first joined the Department as a Support Service Aid, then was sworn in as a Firefighter in 2022, promoting through the ranks of Firefighter Paramedic and Fire Engineer before becoming a Fire Captain in 2011. This seasoned Department veteran, who was one of the first on the front lines of the LA fires, compares his Station 5 Corona del Mar cohort to a professional sports team; “pushing and trusting one another and working in unison toward the goal of safety, service, and professionalism.”
He is grateful to serve alongside an incredible caliber of men and women and believes his job is as much about brightening someone’s day, providing reassurance, or problem-solving as it is about mitigating fire disasters and medical incidents. He and his wife, Jenny, met as cast members on Disney’s Happiest Place on Earth and now live out that sentiment together with their adventurous 10- and 12-year-olds.
Safety Spotlight: Heather Thomson
Home-grown and Newport Beach Junior Lifeguard-trained Officer Heather Thomson grew up in Newport and found her calling to help people as a 16-year-old lifeguard at Huntington State Beach. This Newport Harbor alumna joined the NBPD in 2018 and feels honored to serve the community that helped shape her from a young age.
She has been an absolute rockstar in her role as Homeless Liaison Officer, focusing on the City’s goal of street exits and contributing to the City’s 85% decrease in homelessness in Newport. “While there are definitely challenges along the way, the ability to be part of someone’s journey toward rebuilding their life is what makes this role so special to me.” Officer Thomson enjoys physical and mental challenges, such as practicing jiu jitsu, and will be participating in this month’s Baker to Vegas Challenge Cup Relay for the NBPD team.
