Mandatory evacuation order issued for Orange County Canyons today

Santa Ana, Calif. (October 14, 2025) – Effective Tuesday, October 14 at 10 am, an Evacuation Order (Mandatory) will be issued for areas in Trabuco Creek including the RC Airport, fire station, campground/park and school, Bell Canyon including Starr Ranch and Hot Springs Canyon including Lazy-W Ranch due to possible debris flows along or near the Airport Fire burn scar. An Evacuation Warning (Voluntary) remains in place for Long Canyon and Modjeska Canyon. A map with detailed depictions of the areas under Evacuation Warnings (Voluntary) and Evacuation Orders (Mandatory) can be found at  www.ocsheriff.gov/airportfire.

The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Watch for the burn scar area for Tuesday, October 14 at 11 am through Tuesday, October 14 at 5 pm for the expected rain event.

Any person with disabilities and those with access and/or functional needs requiring evacuation assistance should call Orange County Sheriff’s Department Dispatch at 714-647-7000.

To report storm-related issues with a County road or flood control channel, call the Orange County Public Works Storm Center at 714-955-0333 during flash flood events and emergencies when OC Public Works’ Department Operations Center is activated.

Evacuation Areas

• Trabuco Creek – Evacuation Order (MANDATORY – as of October 14 at 10 am)
• Hot Springs Canyon – Evacuation Order (MANDATORY – as of October 14 at 10 am)
• Bell Canyon – Evacuation Order (MANDATORY – as of October 14 at 10 am)
• Long Canyon – Evacuation Warning (VOLUNTARY – as of October 13 at 7 pm)
• Modjeska Canyon – Evacuation Warning (VOLUNTARY – as of October 13 at 7 pm)

Road Closures

Hard road closures will be in place on Tuesday, October 14 at 10 am at the following locations:

·               Trabuco Canyon Road at Rose Canyon

·               Plano Trabuco near Robinson Ranch

·               Grey Rock at Bell Canyon

·               Hot Springs Canyon at Ortega Highway

OC Animal Care

OC Animal Care is open to house dogs, cats, and small pets for OC Animal Care service area residents under mandatory evacuation orders.

• The shelter is located at 1630 Victory Road Tustin, CA 92782
• If possible, pet owners should bring photo identification, veterinary/vaccination records, special food, and medications along with their animals.
• OC Animal Care service areas include: Anaheim, Brea, Cypress, Fountain Valley, Fullerton, Huntington Beach, Lake Forest, Orange, Placentia, San Juan Capistrano, Santa Ana, Tustin, Villa Park, Yorba Linda, and the County unincorporated areas.

A large animal shelter has been established at the Orange County Fair Grounds, located at 88 Fair Drive, Costa Mesa, CA 92626. Large animal owners should call prior to arrival at 714-820-2830.

Any person needing assistance with information about pets or large animal evacuations should call Orange County Animal Care at 714-935-6848 during normal hours from 8 am to 5 pm or 714-259-1122 during after-hours from 5 pm to 8 am.

OC Animal Care encourages animal owners in voluntary evacuation areas to implement their personal evacuation plans at this time. Pet evacuation tips are available at: https://ocpetinfo.com/education-resources/disaster-preparedness.

OC Parks

As of Tuesday, October 14:

• O’Neill Regional Park closed

Sheltering

Residents living in the evacuation areas are encouraged to leave early and plan for alternate shelter with friends, family or at a local hotel outside of the evacuation area. Depending on conditions, the Evacuation Warning (Voluntary) may transition to Evacuation Order (Mandatory) with little or no notice, so residents leaving the area are encouraged to plan accordingly.

In coordination with the Orange County Social Services Agency, Orange County Public Libraries, the American Red Cross opened a congregate (dormitory style) shelter location for evacuated residents of the Canyons as of 7 pm on Monday, October 13. The shelter is located at the Foothill Ranch Library Program Annex, which is directly adjacent to the Foothill Ranch Library located at 27002 Cabriole Way, Foothill Ranch, CA 92610.

Orange County Public Works, the Orange County Fire Authority and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department are working in Unified Command.

Residents are encouraged to check regularly for updates through local media and on Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) following #OCCanyonFlood at: