BlockBefore

Modjeska, California

47 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1901 and the latest in 1997. It stands in the Silverado census division. It lies in ZIP code area 92676. It lies near Santiago Canyon. The Survey maps it on the Lake Forest quadrangle.

Modjeska within Orange County

Then and now

1901 to 1997

The same ground, surveyed 96 years apart. Drag the handle to wipe between them. Both sheets are United States Geological Survey originals; neither has been altered.

Topographic sheet of Modjeska, surveyed 1997
Topographic sheet of Modjeska, surveyed 1901

Compare 1901 against another survey:

On record in Modjeska

Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.

On the National Register 1 record

Topographic sheets covering this place

17 surveys from 47 printed sheets

Matched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.

Fires near this place

91 since 1992

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 91 fires within 5 miles of Modjeska between 1992 and 2020, burning about 55,930 acres in total. 1 started naturally. 14 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause Fires
Missing data/not specified/undetermined30
Equipment and vehicle use19
Arson/incendiarism14
Recreation and ceremony11
Misuse of fire by a minor6
Power generation/transmission/distribution4
Smoking2
Debris and open burning2
Natural1
Fireworks1
Other causes1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
7 September 2006Equipment and vehicle useunder an acreCleveland National ForestLIVEOAK
3 September 2005Recreation and ceremonyunder an acreCleveland National ForestPOOL
26 September 1995Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreCleveland National ForestPOTSIE
25 September 2004Missing data/not specified/undetermined14 acresOrange County Fire AuthoritySANTIAGO FIRE
25 September 2004Equipment and vehicle use14 acresRiverside UnitSTATE FIRE
25 September 2004Equipment and vehicle use20 acresCleveland National ForestMODJESKA
23 September 2012Recreation and ceremonyunder an acreCleveland National ForestTRABUCO
23 September 2010Equipment and vehicle use38 acresCleveland National ForestLONG

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Orange County

Mines and quarries near this place

10 of 24 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 24 workings within 5 miles of Modjeska: 11 past producers, 6 producers, 5 prospects, 2 occurrences. 6 still produce. What was taken out: Clay, Sand and Gravel, Construction, Lead, Silver, Zinc. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Baker Ranch ExtensionStone, Crushed/BrokenProducer
Blue LightLead, Zinc, Silver, Copper, GoldPast ProducerPyrite, Sphalerite
Blue Light MineLead, Gold, Silver, ZincPast Producer
Hicks Canyon ProspectFire Clay (Refractory)Occurrence
Ladd Canyon DepositsLimestone, GeneralProspect
Sentinal OakGold, Silver, Lead, ZincProspect
Silverado-Santa RosaSilverProducer
Wilhunt MinesLead, Gold, SilverPast Producer
Unnamed ProspectLead, Silver, ZincProspect
Unnamed ProspectLead, Silver, ZincProspect

Every working recorded in Orange County

Storms near this place

5 since 2007

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Modjeska in 5 storm reports between 2007 and 2008: 5 flash flood. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
May 2008Flash FloodModjeska$500,000Heavy rain from a thunderstorm over the Santiago Burn Area triggered damaging debris flows in Modjeska Canyon. The lowest floor of a 2-story house was completely inundated with approximately 1000 cubic meters of debris flow material. Damage to this home was extensive. The yard of a nearby home was inundated with approximately 2500 cubic meters of debris flow material.
May 2008Flash FloodModjeska$150,000Heavy rainfall from a thunderstorm over the Santiago Burn Area triggered flash flood and debris flows in Trabuco Canyon near O' Neill Regional Park. Live Oak Canyon Road was shut down after it was inundated with up to four feet of water. The mud and water rushed out of Trabuco Canyon and poured into Cook's Corner, a roadside biker bar at the intersection of Santiago Canyon and Live Oak Canyon roads. The bar was completely flooded and filled with mud.
January 2008Flash FloodModjeska$40,000Heavy rain showers over Modjeska Canyon caused a debris flow at the Lost Canyon Ranch. The debris flow originated on a hillside about 500 feet in elevation above the ranch and destroyed several fences and horse stalls as it raced toward Santiago Creek. The owner estimates property damage at his ranch to be near $40K.
December 2008Flash FloodModjeska$10,000Heavy rain in the Santiago Burn Area caused mud and debris flows in Modjeska Canyon. Many of the roads and yards that were buried in mud by this debris flow were impacted by similar debris flows last winter. The amount of mud and rock left in the wake of the debris flow was extensive but damage to roads and property was minor.
November 2007Flash FloodModjeska-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Orange County

Nearest settlements

The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.

Map PlaceDistance Sheets
Upper Aliso1.4 miles37
Portola Hills2.1 miles47
Foothill Ranch2.4 miles47
Silverado2.6 miles47
Rancho Trabuco3.5 miles37
Trabuco Canyon3.7 miles37
Carbondale (historical)4.1 miles40
Rancho Santa Margarita4.9 miles37

Elsewhere

Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.

Wikidata item Q122546273The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0).

Provenance

This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 1656571. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.

Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.