Fast Moving Brush Fire Scorches Laguna Canyon

Updated at 10:30 p.m.: A heavy response by units from the Orange County Fire Authority and Laguna Beach blunted a small, fast-moving brushfire that burned about 12 acres in the Laguna Canyon Road, a fire department spokesman said.

“The forward progress of the fire has been stopped and a perimeter has been set up around the burn area,” OCFA spokesman Capt. Tony Bommarito said. “But we are not declaring the fire out at this point and probably won’t until tomorrow morning because there are still hotspots to watch.”

Bommarito said the brushfire burned about 12 acres and the knockdown occurred about 5:30 p.m.

The brushfire first was spotted about 3 p.m. in the area of 1900 Laguna Canyon Road, according to OCFA spokesman Capt. Steve Concialdi.

The fire brought a strong ground and air response from the OCFA and Laguna Beach Fire Department, which included more than 200 firefighters, two water-dropping helicopters, two fixed-winged aircraft and three CalFire hand- crew strike teams, Concialdi and Bommarito said.

No homes were threatened and no injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire remained under investigation, Concialdi said.

City News Service

Photos: 1. Screengrab of video posted on twitter by Casper ‏@ExplosiveIDEAZ  2. Photo by

Baruch Kaufman@baruchkaufman