Training in advance was prescient for helicopter crews who battled the recent Los Angeles wildfires, which devastated the region during what typically is the offseason for California forest fires.

Last month's Palisades and Eaton wildfires caused between $28 billion and $53.8 billion in property damage, according to a study.

The Santa Ana Zoo, which opened in 1952 and stretches across 20 acres, houses roughly 200 animals in its urban setting just ...