A vegetation fire in the area of MacArthur Boulevard and Fairchild Road on Aug. 24 caused road closures in Irvine. The roads reopened on Aug. 27.
According to the Irvine Police Department’s X account, no structures were threatened. Southbound MacArthur at Fairchild and Northbound MacArthur at University were closed, and “traffic [was] diverted to University” on Aug. 25. The University on-ramp to Northbound MacArthur was also closed, while the on-ramp to Southbound MacArthur remained open. Traffic on Eastbound Fairchild near UCI’s North Campus was also diverted to Northbound MacArthur.
MacArthur intersects with multiple roads that lead directly to various parts of the UCI campus. Northbound MacArthur’s intersection with The City Drive is where the UCI Medical Campus is found, while Northbound MacArthur’s intersection with Campus Drive leads to the main UCI campus.
Nine units were dispatched to the initial fire, which is now inactive according to the Western Fire Chiefs Association Fire Map that depicts real-time fires reported by 911 dispatch calls.
The Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) instructs Irvine residents to immediately “notify the local fire agency” when a fire starts and to not delay this notification in an attempt to extinguish the fire. OCFA also stated that residents have a responsibility to “avoid any operations that could start a fire.”
A UCI public health study published in the Environmental Research Health journal in July 2024 analyzed the physical and mental health effects of wildfires and smoke exposure on civilians. In 118 eastern Coachella Valley residents’ accounts of their health impacts, “breathing difficulties, sinus problems and eye irritation” were found to be common side effects among children and the elderly.
Mental health impacts were also prominent. Psychological stressors were found in family members working and living in persistent smoke and heat and in children being unable to go outdoors.
Suellen Hopfer, UCI associate professor of health, society and behavior, told UCI News that the findings from this study urge more emergency preparedness and resources for residents living in areas prone to wildfires. Residents called for improved communication, fire risk reduction services and “tailored fire prevention education in Spanish.”
UCI uses the Rescue, Alarm, Contain, Extinguish (R.A.C.E.) acronym as a fire evacuation procedure, as stated on the UCI Environmental Health and Safety’s website. In case of a fire, students are instructed to avoid elevators and immediately evacuate the building they are in to find the nearest assembly point, which is shown in each building’s evacuation plan. According to UCI Emergency Management, these evacuation plans can be found either “inside facilities” or “outside across campus.”
Inga Chilingaryan is a News Intern for the summer 2024 quarter. She can be reached at chilingi@uci.edu.
Edited by Kaelyn Kwon.
