Recently, Costa Mesa Fire and Rescue personnel participated with Costa Mesa PD and other firefighters and police officers throughout the region at the OC Fair and Event Center Motorhome Madness and Figure Eight Demolition Derby, all in the name of charity and benefitting CHOC Hospital.

Click here to watch CMTV's video of the event.

The event in the Action Sports Arena featured Police Chiefs and OC Sheriff vs Fire Chiefs from throughout Orange County and included CMFR’s very own Fire Chief Dan Stefano (aka Ricky Bobby) and CMPD’s first time participant, Interim Police Chief Joyce LaPointe.

Chief LaPointe was a strong competitor as were the other Chiefs, as they battled it out in their RVs — all for a good cause to fundraise for CHOC. LaPointe got Second Place and Best in Show. 

From first timer drivers to seasoned professionals, the Chiefs bring it every year and help create some really great family fun entertainment and all for the best possible cause; The Children of CHOC Hospital.  

Special thanks to the Costa Mesa PD K9 Unit and all the officers who participated in Figure 8, including Officer Luis Gomez and Daniel Bruno. Officer Dustin Fay also participated in the car demo derby. 

Also highlighted from the night were impressive finishes in the Figure 8 runs from CMFR’s Firefighter/Paramedic Craig Bates, and CMFR newcomer, Code Enforcement Officer Luke Senger. Both did very well with Luke bringing in First Place! 

“Our thanks go out to everyone who was able to be a part of it, make it out or follow any one of the events throughout the week," Chief Stefano said. "A special acknowledgment of appreciation to Dave Padua and his team at Southside Towing for making this event happen each year with Sunnyside Promotions, the Orange County Fair, our partners at CHOC and to all of those who donated to CHOC and help to raise over $53,000 for this remarkable charity this year.”

“I also want to thank our amazing partners mentioned for making this event as successful as it is, every year, all for the young patients that seek treatment at CHOC,” added Interim Chief Joyce LaPointe. “Shout out to my pit crew and to the K9 Unit whose presentation got the crowd going! The cheers and energy was felt by the whole arena.”

The Fire and Police Demolition Derby and Motorhome Madness CHOC donation pages will remain up for the duration of the OC Fair.

If you would like to donate or know someone who may or would like to learn more about the incredible work that CHOC does, here is a link to share: https://raiseup.choc.org/derby.

Mayor John Stephens was joined by councilmembers Andrea Marr and Arlis Reynolds for the grand opening of Moongoat Greenhouse in the Pacific Arts Plaza on Wednesday.

More than 100 guests were on hand to celebrate the official grand opening with Moongoat ownership and staff including the company founders, David Longridge and Mark Evans.

Moongoat took over the space formerly known as Greenhouse Coffee Bar & Eatery in July, expanding the hours of service (6 a.m. – 6 p.m.) and providing Costa Mesans with a second city location to complement their other retail coffee shop on Placentia Avenue.

Next time you’re in the South Coast Metro area, stop by Moongoat Greenhouse for coffee and some blissful tranquility next door in Isamu Noguchi’s famous California Scenario sculpture garden

On Saturday, Aug. 2, Mayor Pro Tem Manuel Chavez attended the Newport-Mesa Unified School District (NMUSD) Back to School Kickoff Expo, held at IKEA and hosted in partnership with the Melinda Hoag Smith Center for Healthy Living.

The event welcomed over 2,000 community members and featured participation from more than 60 local partners providing essentials such as backpacks, shoes, school supplies, hygiene items, and health services.

At the expo, families benefited from a wide range of resources, including free haircuts by local stylists, mobile health, and dental screenings, nearly 2,000 donated shoes, and more, helping create a strong foundation for the upcoming school year. 

Big thanks to the Costa Mesa Police Department for hosting National Night Out on Tuesday, Aug. 5 at the Lions Park Event Lawn 

National Night Out is an annual community-building event that enhances the relationship between neighbors and police to make local neighborhoods safer and better places to live.

With good food, fun activities, and meaningful conversations, it was a night that brought the Costa Mesa community closer together.

For more photos from the event click here.

Earlier this week CMFR was requested and deployed our Cal OES Type 6 (All Hazard/Wildland) Engine to the Gifford Fire, located approximately 30 miles east of Santa Maria.

This deployment is part of a mixed Metro Cities/LA County Cal OES Type 6 Strike Team (which also includes the cities of Anaheim, Huntington Beach, Orange, and Long Beach), all led by one of our Battalion Chiefs as the Strike Team Leader.

This deployment has joined our Metro Cities / Cal OES Type 3 Strike Team which deployed this past Saturday (and that Strike Team includes the cities of Anaheim, Fullerton, Laguna Beach, and Orange).

As of today, the Gifford Fire has grown to more than 100,000 plus acres and is approximately 15% contained.  

Over the past week, we have seen a handful of other fires break out in neighboring regions, as well as in Central and Northern California and with more heat and elevated fire weather including exceeding triple digits, we anticipate more fire activity to follow.

For additional information related to the Gifford Fire, please visit: https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2025/8/1/gifford-fire. And for additional information on all the current statewide wildland fire incidents, please visit: https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents.

At the final Concerts in the Park event on Tuesday, July 29, the City’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP) pop-up brought sustainability front and center, alongside great music and community fun.

Residents stopped by to share ideas, ask questions, and help shape a greener future for Costa Mesa.

Through interactive boards, hands-on activities, and even a kids’ art station, community members of all ages voiced priorities like more green spaces, better bike and transit options, and expanded composting and recycling programs.

The pop-up encouraged conversations around clean energy, public health, and resilience during heat events, highlighting how Costa Mesans envision a climate-friendly, vibrant community for all.

Want to add your voice?

Take our 2-minute CAAP survey to help guide the City’s sustainability actions. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CMCAAPCommunitySurvey

The Costa Mesa Police Department recently hosted an educational program for teens.

The Teen Academy is a weeklong interactive program specifically designed to give local high school students an inside look at the work that law enforcement officers do so they can get to learn about the department.

The Academy aims to teach students about the criminal justice system, police procedures, public safety, and the importance of service to the community.

The program also helps CMPD to build positive relationships with the younger residents of the city, and offers its participants the opportunity to learn about a career in law enforcement field.

The students who participated in this Teen Academy toured the Costa Mesa Jail and Dispatch, met traffic officers, detectives, and drone operators.

They also met K9 Aran, lifted prints with CSI, tried on SWAT gear, ate lunch with officers, and went on a ride-along in the city they live in. Overall, this was a great learning opportunity, organized by Crime Prevention Specialist Jenette Martinez and supported by the CMPD team.

Last week, in response to the recent increase in unlawful encampments, a coordinated outreach and clean-up operation was conducted by the Costa Mesa Police Department in Talbert Park.

Officers made a total of 15 arrests, gave out one citation, and CMPD, with assistance from other agencies, remediated at least 15 encampments.

During the outreach and clean up, we came across an encampment with stolen copper wire from a nearby business. All of it was returned to its owner, and the suspect was arrested for burglary.

We thank the Orange County Park Rangers, Orange County Public Works, and Costa Mesa Outreach for assisting the Costa Mesa police officers and park rangers with this effort.

The aim was to preserve public enjoyment of the parks, maintain safety and order, and ensure these public spaces remain free of unlawful encampments and activities.

It is with deep sadness that the Costa Mesa Police Department shares the passing of a wonderful and well-known volunteer.

George Berg was a dedicated and selfless volunteer whose commitment to our department and community left a lasting impact.

George dedicated countless hours to MESAC, CERT, the Senior Center, and Meals on Wheels, just to name a few. George was very interested in our department and completed Citizens Academy in 2018.

Among his many contributions, one of his greatest passions was supporting the Baker to Vegas team. Volunteers like George are truly invaluable to our mission; they extend the reach of public service through their selfless generosity.

Earlier this week Costa Mesa Fire Engine 81 responded to a large commercial vehicle fire at the 1500 block of Scenic Avenue. 

Taking part in the fire response was Captain Taylor Voss, Engineer John Brock, and Firefighter/Paramedics Dave Defluiter and Ryan Kennedy.

Costa Mesa Fire Engine 82, comprised of Captain Gary Lilly, Engineer Josh Ortega, and Firefighter/Paramedics Bryan McMahon and Omar Amaya, and Costa Mesa Battalion 8 Battalion Chief Kershaw, also assisted on the call.

The Engine 81 team reported seeing significant smoke coming from a mobile document shredding box truck.

The crews deployed a hose line and extinguished an active fire inside the truck. No injuries were reported and there was minimal property damage isolated to the box truck.

Crews remained on scene after the fire was extinguished to complete overhaul and investigative operations.  

During the most recent Meet and Greet of employees at City Hall, Fire Captain Chuck Torres was recognized and presented with the City Manager Leadership Award by Interim City Manager Cecilia Gallardo-Daly.

Captain Torres was honored for his strong work ethic, his notable contributions throughout his tenure with this department and his desire to help those in need. 

“To know Captain Chuck Torres is to love him. His positive energy and expressive disposition is contagious and always lights up a room by his presence. Chuck’s professional career is impressive and includes serving as our Training Captain over the past three years, where he made several notable contributions, including strengthening relationships with city departments and community partners, collaborating with our countywide public safety partners to help move us forward in the area of training, safety, and professional standards,” shared Fire Chief Dan Stefano. “He also provided notable leadership in developing, managing, coordinating, and/or guiding a number of key programs and events for the department and the city including the development of an ASI drill with AAA Corporation, the annual CMFR Open House Fire Expo, Santa Ana College fire technology presentations, served as the MC for the annual city picnic and Snoopy House events, among many other touches.“

During the time Captain Torres served as the department’s Training Captain, he also worked hard and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Business, Management, and Administration from Vanguard University, where he graduated with Honors as Magna Cum Laude.

Captain Torres was identified as one of three in the Business and Management School for top GPA, and he was nominated by the faculty of Vanguard University to serve as one the keynote speakers at the 2023 Commencement Ceremony. 

Share your vision for new housing for Harbor and Newport Boulevards through engaging activities and conversations at an upcoming housing workshop from 6 to 8 p.m, Thursday, Aug. 21 at the City Hall Community Room.

Food, refreshments, kid-friendly activities, and Spanish interpretation will be provided. Please encourage your neighbors, family, friends, and colleagues to attend.  

Stay informed by signing up for the Neighborhoods Where We All Belong email list at www.costamesaneighborhoods.com.  

Public Works recently installed 11 new crosswalks at intersections around the City.

The new high-visibility crosswalks serve to enhance pedestrian safety and bring increased driver awareness to the crossings.

These crosswalks were installed as part of a Citywide street rehabilitation and maintenance project currently underway on various streets throughout the City.

New crosswalks were installed at the following intersections:

• Orange Avenue and Rochester Street

• Paularino Avenue and Yellowstone Drive

• Santa Ana Avenue and Rochester Street

• 16th Place and Tustin Avenue

• Rochester Street and Tustin Avenue

• Ogle Street and Tustin Avenue

• 16th Place and Santa Ana Avenue

• 16th Street and Westminster Avenue

• Orange Avenue and Ogle Street

• Orange Avenue and 16th Place

City efforts have also upgraded five existing crosswalks through the installation of high-visibility markings at the following intersections:

• Santa Ana Avenue and Ogle Street

• Victoria Street and Canyon Drive

• Joann Street and Meyer Place

• Harbor Boulevard and Ford Road

The installation of these crosswalks enhances the City’s overall walkability and supports the City’s goal of creating and safe and inclusive environment for all modes of travel.

Did you enjoy our FREE Concerts In The Park series this summer?

Thanks to many local non-profits like Robyne's Nest who came out and shared their mission of providing resources to at-risk and homeless students, concert goers were not only entertained, they also had an opportunity to hear about CostaMazing work being done right here in our community.

Check out this CMTV video to learn more and to watch the crowd get their summer groove on to the sounds of FAMILY STYLE!

The City of Costa Mesa Teen Program and Downtown Aquatic Center Presents our Teen Dive-in Movie featuring Top Gun: Maverick! on Friday, Aug. 22 at the Downtown Aquatic Center.

Come soar to new heights with our thrilling and fast paced event filled with food, music, games, and so much more.

Entry to this event is open to all teens from 7th through 12th grade and is free! Space is limited and on a first come first served basis. All you need to do is register online or as a walk-in day of the event to join this pool party.

Bring your wingman and your family to join us for a fun night in the pool! Aviators included while supplies last.

Activity Code: #20965 at www.cmclassesonline.com.

Join us for a Poetry Workshop at the Mesa Verde Library!

DATE: August 16, 2025

LOCATION: Mesa Verde Library (2969 Mesa Verde Dr. E)

TIME: 11:00am to 1:00pm

Attendees will learn how to write a poem with Danielle Hanson, Costa Mesa's Poet Laureate. Mark your calendars!

This is free to attend.

For more information click here. 

Gather your friends and family and come enjoy live performances as part of the ARTventure 2025, Community Arts Day.

The event will take place inside the Norma Hertzog Community Center and on the Lions Park event lawn stage on Sept.13 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m .

The juried art exhibition will also be on display with over 200 works of art for viewing.

For more information please visit artventurecm.com.