The Silverado Fire, located in Santiago Canyon near Irvine, was reported just before 7:00 am on October 26, 2020. Within hours, the fast-moving wildfire had exploded to more than 7,000 acres and forced 90,000 people to evacuate.

Our Mission Landscape Maintenance crews were already hard at work in some of those communities and were part of that evacuation order. Despite leaving the area for safety reasons, their work didn’t stop.

Thanks to smart controller technology, our Mission Landscape Irrigation team was able to remotely turn on sprinkler systems in the area. The Silverado Fire was fueled by high winds, which are known for carrying embers to surrounding areas and creating the potential to spark additional flames on nearby homes and landscapes.

“Our goal was to saturate as much of the property as possible to reduce the possibility of embers causing damage to plant material and homes,” said Mission Landscape Director of Irrigation, Rick Phenicie. “I’m not sure if we helped but if we did in the slightest, it makes me feel good.”

After the fire broke out, Rick spent three days turning on irrigation systems in an effort to help water down plant materials in the area. Additionally, another property located further from the fire also benefited from this remote feature. The HOA board president asked Mission Landscape to turn on irrigation systems in their community as well. “While we’re not sure just how much our efforts helped, we’re happy that we could contribute to the safety and peace of mind of our clients,” said Rick.

At Mission Landscape, we are the experts in landscape architecture, landscape construction, commercial landscape maintenance, tree care, water management, and mulch and green waste recycling. We serve a multitude of areas in California including: Orange County, Los Angeles County, Riverside County, San Bernardino County, Sacramento County, and Imperial County.