OC Firefighters Break Ground On New, 30K-Square-Foot Wildfire Resource Center

RANCHO MISSION VIEJO, CA — Orange County firefighters broke ground on a new project intended to further protect the region from the threat of wildfires.

Orange County Fire Authority officials broke ground Thursday on a new Wildfire Resource Center in Rancho Mission Viejo.

The 30,000-square-foot facility will house up to 75 personnel from the fire authority's hand crew and heavy equipment programs.

Planned amenities for the building include a training classroom, administrative workspace, a storage for wildfire equipment and apparatus, a fueling station and an emergency backup generator.

According to firefighters, the need for the facility stems from the growth of the Orange County Fire Authority's Wildland Operations across the hand crew and heavy equipment programs.

The building's design and construction cost a total of $23.37 million, with $16.95 million secured on the fire authority's behalf by then-Senator and now Congressman Dave Min.

According to the OC Fire Authority, the project is due to be finished by December 2028.