Years before the L.A. fires, Orchard Hills faced a fire of its own — and came out mostly unscathed due to a long collaboration between the developer and fire department.

The technology uses artificial intelligence to create a sensor network that analyzes smoke and heat data to alert firefighters when a brush fire occurs ... funding from Irvine Ranch Conservancy ...

In Irvine, building plans must go through the fire authority as a condition of ... trees to have fewer trees per acre and cleared the brush and sage in the orchards to limit flammable objects ...