Coastal Fire 15 Percent Contained As Evacuation Orders Remain In Place

LAGUNA NIGUEL, CA — Firefighters are expected to continue battling against the destructive Coastal Fire for the next several days as crews continue to make progress in containing the growing blaze.

The Orange County Fire Authority announced early Thursday evening the fire was 15 percent contained. Shane Sherwood, a division chief for OCFA, said warm weather blanketing the Southland starting tomorrow will add another layer of difficulty in fighting the fire.

"We expect the weather to get hotter and drier over the next two days," Sherwood said. "That will continue to challenge all of our firefighters in our efforts to contain this fire."

The blaze, dubbed the Coastal Fire, has scorched more than 200 acres as of 5:30 p.m. Sherwood said the fire has destroyed 20 homes and damaged 11 residences.

Around 550 firefighters from Cal Fire, Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside and San Diego counties have battled against the blaze since Wednesday.

Two firefighters were injured while responding to the blaze, and both have since been released from the hospital, Sherwood size. No other injuries were reported by authorities on Thursday.

More than 900 households were evacuated during the outset of the fire, and evacuations will remain in place overnight, Laguna Niguel officials said.

Sherwood said he appreciated the impacted residents' patience while firefighters "continue to work diligently each night until this fire is put at 100 percent containment."

Captain Virgil Asuncion, chief of Laguna Niguel Police Services, said Thursday it will take time before a neighborhood is deemed safe enough for residents to return home.

"The worst-case scenario would be allowing people back into their homes and having them re-evacuate," he said. "We ask for patience from our residents."

RELATED: Coastal Fire Photos: Devastating Loss Of Orange County Homes

Meanwhile, Southern California Edison faced scrutiny after the company reported an incident around the time the blaze broke out. Edison has personnel and investigators at the scene of the fire and sent a letter to the state Public Utilities Commission about "circuit activity occurring close in time to the reported time" of the fire, CBS 2 reported.

David Song, a spokesman for the utility, told the Los Angeles Times that the report was intended to put the commission “on notice of an incident so that it can conduct its own investigation."

The cause of the fire remains under investigation by the Orange County Fire Authority, and Sherwood could not comment on what may have sparked the blaze.

RELATED: Brush Fire Destroys Laguna Niguel Homes; 200+ Acres Burned

The fire broke out near the South Orange County Wastewater Authority Coastal Treatment Plant, in the area around Aliso Canyon and Wilderness Park at 2:44 p.m. Wednesday, the OCFA reported.

The steep canyon sits between Laguna Beach and Laguna Niguel and is dotted with dense shrubs ravaged by years of drought.

The blaze quickly whipped up the canyon and through the Laguna Niguel neighborhood of Coronado Pointe, leaving at least 20 families without homes.

Homes destroyed range in value from about $2 million to nearly $10 million, according to the real estate website Redfin. One of the homes destroyed was listed for sale at $9.9 million this week.

Panicked evacuees gathered at the base of Coronado Pointe Wednesday night and watched flames light up the sky, wondering if their homes still stood.

For a real-time evacuation update map, visit the OCSD's website. The city of Laguna Beach also published a real-time evacuation warning map.

"I saw flashes of fires just coming in my house, and that's the time I left with my wife," Abi Farsoni, who left everything he owned behind, told KTLA. "It's horrible for residents. You don't know if your home is still there. We don't know. I have a lot of things. I didn't have time to take them."

Huge chunks of burning debris wafted through the air and swirled around firefighters as they took up defensive positions around homes. Thick plumes of smoke could be seen across Orange County Wednesday, and residents in the Laguna Hills area remained on edge as up to 30 mph wind gusts sent flames roaring up the parched hillsides where multimillion-dollar homes sat perched above the canyon.

Deputies and firefighters went door to door to evacuate residents of about 100 homes before the flames began chewing through houses.

Deputies asked residents on San Simeon, Sierra Vista, Alta Terra, Nucella, Serana, Avante, Tanarron, Teracina, Islands Avenue, Capri Court, Sunrisa Lane, Chapala Court, Arelu Court and Anamonte to leave.

Residents in need of more information about the fire were asked to call the hotline number for residents, 714-628-7085.

Residents can call Mission Viejo Animal Services at 949-470-3045 ext. 0 for help with evacuating their pets.

Read: Smoke Advisory Issued For Laguna Niguel: Coastal Fire Affects South OC

The fire prompted mandatory evacuations for three communities in Laguna Niguel and evacuation warnings for Laguna Beach Wednesday.

The Crown Valley Community Center was designated a "care and reception center" for anyone affected by the fire, Laguna Niguel Mayor Elaine Gennawey said.

Gennawey encouraged residents affected by the fire to contact the city by email or at 949-362-4300 for help with the recovery process.

"The priority of the city of Laguna Niguel is the safety and well-being of all our residents," she said.

The Coastal Fire also closed nearby Moulton Elementary School, a representative for the Capistrano Unified School District told Patch. Moulton Elementary School students will have their classes at Wood Canyon on Thursday.

California secured a fire management assistance grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to ensure the availability of resources to battle the Coastal Fire in Orange County, Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement.

The grant was provided through money from the federal disaster relief fund and enables local, state and tribal agencies responding to the fire to apply for 75 percent reimbursement of their eligible fire suppression costs.

Both the city of Laguna Niguel and the Orange County Board of Supervisors declared a local emergency for the Coastal Fire.

The declaration will allow city and county officials to draw on state and federal funding to help impacted residents.

"I know it's been a long night for the people of Laguna Niguel," Supervisor Lisa Bartlett said Thursday. "My thoughts and prayers go out to all the people who have been affected by this terrible fire."

By Thursday morning, many Laguna Niguel evacuees waited and wondered if their homes would still be standing by the time the hot spots were all out.

Sara Nuss-Galles, who lives on Via Estoril, told the Los Angeles Times she watched the fire grow for more than an hour before she evacuated the area.

"My clothes smell from the hour I spent in the house," Nuss-Galles told the Times. "It's just plumes of smoke. It's very scary."

Read also:

Coastal Fire Photos: Devastating Loss Of Orange County Homes

Smoke Advisory Issued For Laguna Niguel: Coastal Fire Affects South OC