Crime & Safety
Car Fire Sparks Brush Fire Along Ortega Highway: Road Closures
Two people fled their burning car which started a vegetation fire Friday. An hours-long closure was in effect.
SAN JUAN] #OCFA Eng. 56 alarm to a VEG. FIRE near Ortega Hwy & Rancho Carrillo Rd. Started by a vehicle Fire. 30 acres burned. OCFA, USFS, CALFIRE at scene. OCFA helitnkr, 3 helos & fixed wing, ISR, Dozer 1 & 2 worked w/OCFA & USFS ground crews to stop the fire./INFO1 pic.twitter.com/1mKyO3Oc26
— OCFA PIO (@OCFA_PIO) September 14, 2019
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA —The Ortega Highway was closed several hours Friday afternoon due to a brush fire, officials said.
California Highway Patrol officers shut down traffic in both directions at 4:30 p.m. while firefighters battled the blaze.
A car fire sparked and moved into vegetation near Ortega Highway and Nichols Institute Road.
Find out what's happening in San Juan Capistranofor free with the latest updates from Patch.
"The driver and passengers got out of the car on their own," Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Jon Muir said.
OCFA, the US Forest Service, CALFIRE worked together to extinguish the blaze.
Find out what's happening in San Juan Capistranofor free with the latest updates from Patch.
A OCFA helitanker, three helicopters and a fixed wing plane, ISR and two bulldozers worked with OCFA and USFS ground crews to stop the fire, Muir said.
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