Agenda Report
Fullerton City Council
MEETING DATE: July 21, 2026
TO: CITY COUNCIL
SUBMITTED BY: Adam Loeser, Fire Chief
PREPARED BY: ANDREW YANG, ADMINISTRATIVE ANALYST II
SUBJECT: CITY OF FULLERTON RESPONSE TO THE 2025-2026 ORANGE COUNTY GRAND JURY REPORT: WILDFIRES HIT HOME
SUMMARY
The 2025-2026 Orange County Grand Jury report Wildfires Hit Home requests the City respond to findings and recommendations by August 17, 2026. The proposed response agrees with the findings and commits to implementing recommendations by December 31, 2026.
PROPOSED MOTION
Receive and file the 2025-2026 Orange County Grand Jury report Wildfires Hit Home.
Authorize City Manager, or designee, to execute and submit the City response to the Orange County Superior Court Presiding Judge.
ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS
Modify City position on one or more findings or recommendations Other options brought by City Council.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends the Proposed Motion.
CITY MANAGER REMARKS
None.
PRIORITY POLICY STATEMENT
This item matches the following Priority Policy Statement:
Public Safety
FISCAL IMPACT
Approving the response generates no direct fiscal impact. Fire Department budget resources can absorb the county-wide wildfire prevention fair participation and implement Recommendation R4. Staff would present any future program changes with additional budget impacts to City Council for separate consideration.
DISCUSSION
The 2025-2026 Orange County Grand Jury published “Wildfires Hit Home,” a report examining wildfire risk in the county wildland-urban interface areas and related effects on the availability and affordability of homeowners insurance on May 19, 2026. The report requests, but does not require, a City response to Findings F1 through F6 and Recommendations R2 and R4 pursuant to Penal Code Sections 933 and 933.05 to the Orange County Superior Court Presiding Judge by August 17, 2026.
The proposed response agrees with all six findings which address increasing wildfire frequency and severity, effectiveness of home hardening and defensible space, the value of community outreach and risk-mitigation designations and insurance discounts and grant funding available through state programs. Portions of the northern part of the city fall within the wildland-urban interface, shown on the updated Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps adopted by City Council on May 6, 2025, making these findings relevant to Fullerton.
Recommendation R2 asks cities and fire service agencies to commit to participating in a countywide annual wildfire prevention fair planned by the Orange County Board of Supervisors by December 31, 2026. The proposed response commits the City to participate and communicate that commitment to the County by December 31, 2026. The Fire Department Fire Prevention Division can accommodate participation within existing resources.
Recommendation R4 asks cities to provide wildfire preparedness information, develop a wildfire outreach program and designate a direct point of contact for residents by December 31, 2026. The Fire Department conducts outreach including postcards mailed annually to approximately 4,000 homes in the High and Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones identified through GIS analysis and wildfire preparedness resources published on the City website. The proposed response commits the City to formalize these existing activities as its wildfire outreach program and to designate a direct point of contact for residents by December 31, 2026.
The proposed response addresses both recommendations through commitments the Fire Department can implement within existing resources. It does not establish an ongoing reporting obligation to the Grand Jury or the court beyond the response transmittal. If approved, the response would complete City Council consideration of this matter unless otherwise directed.
Attachments:
Attachment 1 – 2025-2026 Orange County Grand Jury Report, “Wildfires Hit Home” Attachment 2 – Proposed Response Letter to the Orange County Grand Jury Report cc: City Manager Eddie Manfro
2025-2026 Orange County Grand Jury Report: Wildfires Hit Home July 21, 2026 - Page 2