Lax Airport: Fire Hazards And Safety Concerns

In September 2024, three major wildfires raged across Southern California, burning homes and stretching resources from multiple agencies across four counties. The fires were named the Bridge Fire, the Line Fire, and the Airport Fire. The Airport Fire began in Orange County's Trabuco Canyon and spread to Riverside County. While the fire did not affect air traffic at LAX, it did impact the surrounding areas. The fire destroyed residential and commercial structures, injured firefighters, and led to evacuations and road closures. Smoke from the fire also affected air quality in parts of the region.

Impact of fires on LAX air traffic

In September 2024, three major wildfires, the Bridge Fire, the Line Fire, and the Airport Fire, were burning simultaneously in Southern California. These fires collectively scorched more than 100,000 acres and had a noticeable impact on the region, including the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).

The Airport Fire, which began in Orange County's Trabuco Canyon and spread to Riverside County, posed a particular challenge. This fire was ignited accidentally by a spark from heavy equipment used by public workers and resulted in injuries to eight firefighters. While the fire did not directly affect LAX, its impact on the surrounding areas caused disruptions.

LAX experienced delays and disruptions due to the combined effects of the wildfires. The smoke from these fires, including the Bridge Fire and the Line Fire, affected air quality in the region. While LAX is an oceanside, urban airport with fewer fire risks compared to more rural areas, the impact of wildfires on air traffic cannot be understated. Wildfires can create conditions that affect airport operations, including reduced visibility, hazardous air quality, and changes in wind patterns.

In the case of the 2024 Southern California wildfires, the impact on LAX air traffic was moderate. There were reports of delays and disruptions, but the airport remained operational. However, the situation underscores the importance of preparedness and the need for airports in fire-prone areas to have contingency plans in place. LAX has developed an Emergency Contingency Plan to address excessive tarmac delays and ensure the safe deplanement of passengers, sharing of facilities, and coordination with relevant authorities.

Overall, the impact of the wildfires on LAX air traffic was temporary and manageable. With the fires now contained and the immediate danger passed, LAX is expected to resume normal operations. However, the event serves as a reminder of the complex challenges posed by wildfires and the need for airports to be prepared for such emergencies.

Causes of the Airport Fire

On December 9, 2023, a fire broke out at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), specifically in the American Airlines "Eagle's Nest" Regional Terminal. Firefighters from the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) responded swiftly, extinguishing the blaze in approximately 40 minutes. While the fire caused no injuries or impact on airport operations, the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Although the specific cause of the LAX fire is yet to be determined, there are several potential factors that could have contributed to the blaze. Here are some possible causes of the airport fire:

• Electrical Faults: Electrical issues are a common cause of fires in buildings. Faulty wiring, overloaded circuits, or malfunctioning electrical equipment can spark and ignite surrounding materials. With the fire at LAX extending into the attic, it is possible that electrical issues in the ceiling or roof space contributed to the blaze.
• Combustible Materials: Airports have various combustible materials present, such as fuel, oils, and other flammable liquids or substances used in aircraft operations. If these substances are not properly stored or handled, they can ignite and cause a fire.
• Human Error or Negligence: Human error or negligence can play a role in the spread of fires. This could include improper disposal of cigarettes or other smoking materials, leaving flammable materials unattended, or failing to follow safety protocols when handling combustible substances.
• Mechanical Failure: Airports utilise a range of mechanical equipment, including vehicles, machinery, and aircraft. A malfunction or failure in any of this equipment could generate sparks or heat that could potentially ignite a fire.
• External Factors: In some cases, fires can be started intentionally through arson or vandalism. Additionally, external factors such as lightning strikes or natural disasters could have played a role in starting or contributing to the fire.

While these are potential causes of airport fires, it is important to await the official investigation results to determine the specific cause of the LAX fire. The LAFD and other relevant authorities will conduct a thorough examination of the scene and evidence to conclude the cause and provide valuable insights for fire prevention and safety measures.

Evacuation orders and warnings

The Airport Fire began in Orange County's Trabuco Canyon on September 9, 2024, and spread to Riverside County. Evacuation orders and warnings were issued for areas near the fire. The fire has destroyed residential and commercial structures, and injured eight firefighters.

The public must not enter the closure area or recreate on any of the fire lines constructed for the incident. The Trabuco Ranger District of the Cleveland National Forest is temporarily closed to provide for public health and safety concerns related to the Airport Fire. This closure will be in effect from September 18, 2024, until September 17, 2025.

For the latest information on evacuation orders and warnings, residents should refer to the official website of the Cleveland National Forest: https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/cleveland/alerts-notices/?aid=90727.

As of January 4, 2025, all evacuation orders and warnings related to the Airport Fire have been lifted. However, the Forest Closure Order for the Trabuco Ranger District of the Cleveland National Forest is still in effect.

Evacuation shelters were previously available at the following locations:

• RSM Bell Tower Community Center: 22232 El Paseo, Rancho Santa Margarita
• Temescal Canyon High School: 28755 El Toro Road, Lake Elsinore
• Santiago High School: 1395 E Foothill Pkwy, Corona

Fire containment strategies

Control Lines and Fire Lines:

Creating control lines, or boundaries, is an important tactic to control the spread of a fire. These can be natural boundaries like a river or rocky ridge, or artificial ones made by clearing brush or digging ditches. A fire line is a more intensive version, where the barrier is scraped down to mineral soil. Control lines can be bolstered by using small torches to burn the brush just inside the line, a technique called a burnout. A similar approach is a backburn, where a controlled blaze is set downwind of the main fire and pushed back towards it, burning up fuel.

Direct and Indirect Attacks:

For smaller wildfires, a direct attack can be employed, where firefighters start from already burned earth and work their way around the perimeter of the fire to spray the flames. Indirect attacks involve preparatory suppression tactics used a distance away from the fire, such as building firelines, fuel reduction, and backburning.

Hot Spotting and Knocking Down:

Hot spotting involves identifying the most active and dangerous portions of a wildfire and devising strategies to keep them in check. This may include stamping out embers and spot fires. Knocking down is the immediate suppression of a hotspot by directly applying dirt, water, or retardant.

Aerial Support:

Planes and helicopters can be used to drop water, often mixed with foam retardant, on the fire. This creates an effective barrier and insulates unburned fuel.

Fireline Explosives:

In some cases, explosives may be used to break up dense brush and fallen trees, or to fell trees that could help the fire jump across a control line.

Mop-up:

After a control line is completed, firefighters go back and clean up by dousing any embers or spot fires that have crossed the line. They also protect vulnerable fuels by moving or burning them.

Forest Thinning:

Mechanical thinning of forests, combined with controlled ground fires, can effectively reduce the risk of wildfire spread. Thinning removes excess vegetation that can act as fuel for the fire.

These strategies are used by firefighters to combat wildfires and prevent them from affecting populated areas, such as those near airports like LAX. While wildfires may not directly impact the airport's operations, they can cause smoke and ash in the surrounding areas.

Impact of fires on air quality

Wildfires can have a significant impact on air quality, even for those who don't live near wooded areas. Smoke from wildfires is made up of a complex mixture of gases and fine particles produced when wood and other organic materials burn. These fine particles, or particle pollution, pose the biggest health threat as they can enter the eyes and respiratory system, causing burning eyes, a runny nose, and illnesses such as bronchitis. Particle pollution is especially harmful to children, older adults, and those with asthma, COPD, bronchitis, chronic heart disease, or diabetes. Studies of children in California found that those who breathed smoky air during wildfires experienced increased coughing, wheezing, bronchitis, colds, and hospital visits for respiratory issues, particularly asthma.

Another dangerous component of wildfire smoke is carbon monoxide (CO), which is most common during the smoldering stages of a fire and in close proximity. Carbon monoxide reduces oxygen delivery to the body's organs and tissues and can lead to headaches, nausea, dizziness, and even death in high concentrations. Wildfires also spread other harmful emissions, including nitrogen oxides and hazardous air pollutants, contributing to overall poor air quality.

While LAX is in a very urban and oceanside location, there is still a chance that fires can bring smoke and ash to the area, as seen in the 1992 Malibu fires. However, one source mentions that the Burbank fire did not affect flights in and out of LAX. Overall, wildfires can impact air quality by releasing harmful substances into the atmosphere, affecting both local populations and those thousands of miles away.

Frequently asked questions