RHOC’s Jennifer Pedranti Says Son Was Involved in 7-Acre California Brush Fire: ‘There Are Consequences’

Real Housewives of Orange County star Jennifer Pedranti has confirmed that one of her sons was involved in a Southern California brush fire that burned seven acres and came dangerously close to nearby homes.

Jennifer addressed the incident in an Instagram Story on Thursday, July 9, after rumors began circulating about her son’s possible connection to the fire in Ladera Ranch.

“He and others were involved,” the she acknowledged. Jennifer said she and her ex-husband, William Pedranti, were taking the situation seriously and described the behavior as “unacceptable.” She also apologized to the surrounding community.

The fire was reported at approximately 4:45 p.m. on Tuesday, July 7, near Narrow Canyon Road and Acaster Way. It was initially estimated at three acres before growing to approximately seven acres, according to updates from the Orange County Fire Authority.

Firefighters attacked the flames from both the ground and the air. OCFA helicopters and aircraft from Cal Fire helped stop the fire’s spread before it reached nearby houses. The blaze was declared under control within about two hours, and no injuries or property damage was reported.

“We were so thankful there was no property damage and nobody was hurt,” she wrote, adding that the responding police officers and firefighters gave the boys involved a lesson they would not forget.

Although Pedranti confirmed her son was involved, the Orange County Fire Authority said several minors were interviewed at the scene and that the official cause of the fire remained under investigation. No arrests had been made as of Thursday.

Pedranti did not identify which of her four sons was connected to the incident. She shares sons Harrison, 22, Dawson, 19, Greyson, 16, and Dominic, 12, as well as 14-year-old daughter Everleigh, with her ex-husband.

“There are consequences within our family,” she said, adding that they intend to ensure their son learns from the incident.

Jennifer said he will be required to attend a fire-safety course in an effort to prevent anything similar from happening again. She also emphasized that additional consequences were being imposed privately by the family.

The incident occurred during a particularly concerning week for Ladera Ranch. Firefighters had responded to another brush fire in the area just two days earlier. That separate blaze burned approximately 1.31 acres behind several homes before crews contained it.

“This is a tough learning moment for our son and our family,” she wrote.

The news emerged on the same day that The Real Housewives of Orange County returned to Bravo for its milestone 20th season. Pedranti has appeared as a full-time cast member since Season 17 and is returning for the new season alongside cast members including Tamra Judge, Shannon Beador, Heather Dubrow and returning original Housewife Vicki Gunvalson.

The brush-fire incident comes as Pedranti is already navigating another troubling situation involving one of her teenage sons. During the July 9 Season 20 premiere of RHOC, she revealed that her 17-year-old son Greyson had recently been pulled over while driving 105 mph.

Pedranti said the speeding incident was so unlike Greyson that it “shook me on so many levels” and left her wondering whether something else was going on with him. She later told Greyson that the fines associated with his ticket totaled approximately $700 and that the family would need to devise a plan for him to pay the money back. Greyson works at In-N-Out, though his mother joked that he could not work enough shifts to cover the consequences easily.

Pedranti also noted that her older son Dawson had been pulled over “too many” times, underscoring the challenges she is facing as her children grow older. However, she has not said Greyson—or any other son by name—was the child involved in the Ladera Ranch fire.