Emerald Fire: 145-Acres Burn, 20% Containment While Crews Patrol

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — Orange County fire crews and the Laguna Beach Police Department are still hard at work after a large, wind-fueled brush fire known as the Emerald Fire burned almost 150 acres near the north of the Laguna Beach community of Emerald Bay and neighboring Irvine Cove Thursday morning.

Authorities worked through the night to increase the containment of the fire, as well as the structural defenses of the Emerald Bay and Irvine Cove community.

"We want to thank residents for their quick actions and evacuations, and for following the orders and requests of police and fire," Orange County Fire Authority Spokesperson Paul Holoday told Patch. "Thank you for doing your due diligence, it definitely made our jobs easier and it assisted in protecting properties."

As of Friday, not a single Laguna Beach home has been damaged or destroyed, Holoday told Patch.

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The Emerald Fire forced residents living in North Laguna Beach, Emerald Bay north and south and Irvine Cove to evacuate their homes when the fire caught Thursday morning. Additionally, all Laguna Beach schools canceled classes for Thursday, though schools were expected to reopen Friday.

While the evacuation order has since been lifted, the Orange County Fire Authority asked residents to remain vigilant and prepared in the event of an emergency.

The Orange County Parks and California State Parks remain closed in the fire-affected areas.

RELATED: Emerald Fire: 150-Acres Burn, 20% Contained, Evacuations Lifted

The fire ignited around 4 a.m. Thursday amid strong Santa Ana winds that pushed the fire north and west throughout the hillside area near Pacific Coast Highway. Flames burned through the light-to-medium brush, but the fire was "looking pretty good" in terms of preventing its spread, fire officials told Patch.

Air tankers raced to the flames around 9 a.m. to hold the fire on the ridge between Laguna Beach and Newport Beach, according to a previous Patch report.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, authorities said.

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Laguna Beach's abundant fire preparation and emergency planning helped the city quickly evacuate Emerald Bay and Irvine Cove residents, according to city officials.

As smoke blanketed Irvine cove Thursday morning, the memory of the 1993 wildfire that destroyed 441 homes in Laguna Beach remains close on everyone's mind, the Orange County Fire Authority Chief Brian Fennessy said.

"It's Feb. 10. It's supposed to be the middle of winter," he said. "We're anticipating 80- to 90-degree weather here. We no longer have a fire season, we have a fire year."

Fennessy added: "If this is any sign, we're in for a long year."