Lake Forest

City in Orange County

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Report created October 27, 2026 at www.firezones.info/community/39496/lake-forest

  • Fire hazard severity zones

    Share of the land in each CAL FIRE hazard class

    33% Very High

    Most of the Very High land is in the Local Responsibility Area, where the City of Lake Forest adopts the zones CAL FIRE recommends.

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  • Fire history

    Share of the land inside a recorded wildfire perimeter

    39% has burned

    Most recently the 2020 Silverado Fire, which burned 562 acres here, one of 10 fires on record.

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  • Power line fire risk

    Share of the land in the High Fire-Threat District

    12% Extreme

    Utilities may shut off power in the CPUC High Fire-Threat District in fire weather, and homes outside it can lose power when their lines run through it.

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Land by hazard class

  1. Very High 3,561 acres · 5 state, 3,557 local 33%
  2. High 395 acres · Local Responsibility Area 4%
  3. Moderate 343 acres · Local Responsibility Area 3%
  4. Non-wildland 6,448 acres · Local Responsibility Area 60%

10,747 acres of land in all, 5 in the State Responsibility Area and 10,742 in the Local. State zones are the ones the State Fire Marshal designated, in effect since 1 April 2024. Local zones are CAL FIRE's 2025 recommendation, which each city or county adopts by ordinance and can make stricter. How to read fire zones

Fires that burned here

  1. 1926 Unnamed fire Of 9,935 acres in all 3,298 acres
  2. 2007 Santiago Fire Of 28,430 acres in all · Cause: Miscellaneous 1,880 acres
  3. 2020 Silverado Fire Of 12,469 acres in all 562 acres
  4. 1970 El Toro Fire 412 acres
  5. 1919 Unnamed fire Of 2,225 acres in all 267 acres
  6. 1931 Unnamed fire Of 7,760 acres in all 261 acres
  7. 1984 Modjeska Fire Of 1,018 acres in all 145 acres
  8. 1970 Nelson Fire Of 3,586 acres in all · Cause: Miscellaneous 27 acres
  9. 2000 Whiting Fire Cause: Arson 11 acres
  10. 1997 Santiago Fire Of 338 acres in all · Cause: Vehicle 1 acre

In all, 4,143 acres of Lake Forest have burned. Acres are the land each fire burned here, and fires that crossed less than an acre are not counted. Some older or smaller fires may be missing, and a fire perimeter can include unburned patches. How to read fire history

Sources

Fire hazard severity zones
CAL FIRE Office of the State Fire Marshal
State map published 27 June 2025, local map 2 February 2026
Fire history
CAL FIRE Fire and Resource Assessment Program
Published 28 July 2026
Power line fire risk
California Public Utilities Commission
Published 23 February 2026

This site is independent and not affiliated with CAL FIRE or the CPUC, so for an official determination, check with the agency or your city or county. How we read the data

Nearby areas

ZIP codes in Lake Forest

Neighboring communities

  1. Lake Forest 33% Very High · this area
  2. Irvine 25% Very High
  3. Laguna Hills 2% Very High
  4. Laguna Woods 22% Very High
  5. Mission Viejo 7% Very High
  6. Modjeska 77% Very High
  7. Rancho Santa Margarita 68% Very High
  8. Trabuco Canyon 97% Very High