Firefighters Battle Laguna Niguel Brush Fire

LAGUNA NIGUEL, CA — Fire crews made quick progress on a small vegetation fire burning in the area of Laguna Niguel near Aliso Viejo, officials with the Orange County Fire Authority said. OCFA Captain Larry Kurtz said residents should not be alarmed as there is a buffer between the flames and homes for now. No evacuation orders have been issued.

The fire began in the area of Via Del Agua and Via Catalina, and is not a threat to Aliso Viejo at this time, according to Aliso Viejo Police Lt. John MacPherson. As of 1:30 p.m. things were starting to return to normal for the neighborhood.

Deputies requested residents in the immediate vicinity to self-evacuate according to MacPherson.

"Residents of Via Del Agua who evacuated on foot can return to their homes," MacPherson said. "There is no vehicle traffic in the area yet, per Orange County Fire Authority."

Fire officials said this fire came close to nearby structures, however, there are eight engines on scene to make sure those homes are protected.

Thirty firefighters and eight engines are battling the blaze, according to Kurtz.

Homeowners such as Melisa Ochoa watched the fire as it grew, then was extinguished by OCFA.

"I took this picture from my bedroom window," Ochoa said. "We are still trying to see what caused the fire." Neighbors were keeping up with the fire over the NextDoor App, according to Ochoa, who took a moment to thank the Orange County firefighters for controlling the fire behind her Laguna Niguel home.

"Stay safe," she wrote on Instagram. "There are so many fires happening right now."

Smoke from the Laguna Niguel fire could be seen from Lake Forest, as with this tweet shared from LF resident Robert Ferguson.

Bush Fire Happening Now by Houses, Laguna Niguel, CA pic.twitter.com/PhcXBYnBIf
— Robert Ferguson (@fergfilm) June 29, 2017

See Also:

• Cristianitos Fire Spreads To 700 Acres Near Camp Pendleton, Reaches San Clemente

This is a developing story. Please refresh this page for the latest information.

Photo credit Orange County Fire Authority