Council to Vote on Controversial Fire Maps Tonight

New state maps say thousands of Mission Viejo homes are in danger of wildfires. Will the City Council approve the maps tonight, which opponents say would reduce their home values?

The Council will decide tonight on the maps, which include about 5,000 Mission Viejo buildings, mostly homes near the 241 toll road. .

One resident said the maps contain "irrational anomalies," including her own house. In a letter to the Council, software engineer Carroll Slemaker said she was suspicious of the maps because they were produced by computer software.

"I know full well how such programs can occasionally do things which surprise even the programmer," she said.

A staff report says the maps were based on "current scientific methods which assessed vegetation, slope, fire history, weather patterns and significantly improved accuracy by establishing the impact of flames, heat and flying fire embers."