Orange County fire officials admit they were too slow to respond to a fire that burned more than a dozen homes in Anaheim Hills in October, according to an independent review of the emergency response. County officials said they have changed protocol as a result of the missteps.
Canyon Fire 2 began on Oct. 9, 2017, ultimately burning more than 9,200 acres and destroying 25 structures and damaging another 55, according to Cal Fire.
The report released Friday confirmed that more than an hour passed between the initial report of fire and anyone being sent to the area. In fact, the dispatcher who handled the 8:23 a.m. call from a driver on the 91 Freeway told California Highway Patrol officials, who had routed the cell phone call to the county, that the report was unfounded.
It was only after another call an hour later that the fire was confirmed and help was sent.
Even then, the review of the timeline that day found that more time was wasted. The second caller reported fire in the area at 9:27 a.m. Dispatch did not send firefighters until 9:43 a.m., instead first trying to verify the information other ways.