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Orange County supervisors approve $33 million Airport Fire settlement
Flames are seen near the side of a road as the Airport Fire gained ground near Lake Elsinore.
(
David Swanson
/
AFP via Getty Images
)
Topline:
The Orange County Board of Supervisors voted in closed session this week to approve a $33 million settlement for damages and losses resulting from the 2024 Airport Fire.
The details: On Tuesday, County Counsel Leon Page reported that the supervisors voted 4-0 to approve the settlement, with Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento absent. Page said the settlement covers 193 households, consisting of 592 different claimants.
The backstory: The Airport Fire occurred in Trabuco Canyon in September 2024, destroying 160 homes and other structures and injuring 22 people, including a number of firefighters. The fire was accidentally started by county employees working in dry, hot conditions. LAist was the first to report on public records that show workers failed to follow recommended best practices in such conditions.
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
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