Published November 5, 2026
NEWPORT BEACH | CITY HALL WATCH | NOVEMBER 5, 2026
Newport firefighters have been heading into the Cleveland National Forest for something you can’t completely recreate inside a fire station: working around real, controlled fires. They’ve been doing it for four years.
Now the U.S. Forest Service wants the arrangement in writing, and City Hall considered a formal agreement extending the training partnership through May 14, 2031.
These are prescribed burns. Crews deliberately burn vegetation under controlled conditions to reduce wildfire fuel and practice real-fire operations.
Newport firefighters gain experience controlling fire boundaries and earning wildland firefighting qualifications. The Forest Service gets additional trained personnel and equipment. It’s practical cooperation, not just another training slideshow.
The proposal doesn’t require the agencies to exchange cash. But that doesn’t mean Newport’s contribution is worth nothing.
Newport’s staff report estimates up to $571,533.75 in firefighter time and equipment over the nearly five-year agreement. That’s 29.48% of an estimated $1.94 million in total prescribed-burn operations covered by the agreement. The city says firefighters would participate on normal shifts, with local staffing taking priority.
Nobody on the peninsula wants a fire engine unavailable because its crew is practicing in the mountains. The agreement specifically leaves Newport in charge of its local staffing needs.
Still, the public should know what the city gets back. How many firefighters have earned qualifications? How often do crews participate, and how does that experience prepare them for wildfire threats near Newport Coast?
The training sounds useful. The measurable results should be public, too.
Sources: Newport Beach City Council Item 7, Oct. 27 · City staff report
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