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A total of 20 homes were destroyed and 11 damaged in a brush fire that devastated Laguna Niguel, fire officials announced Thursday afternoon.
Firefighters, fortunately, caught a break Thursday as winds calmed down compared to Wednesday when the fire began.
Two firefighters were injured while battling the blaze, officials said, but no details were disclosed. They are expected to be OK.
Evacuation orders for about 900 homes will be extended to Friday.
As of 5 p.m. Thursday, the 200-acre fire was 15% contained.
The blaze was reported just before 2:45 p.m. Wednesday, May 11, in Aliso Woods Canyon and, pushed by sharp winds from the Pacific Ocean, quickly moved up dry, steep terrain. When firefighters arrived, the blaze had consumed about an acre.
Just two hours later, flames had crossed an access road and moved toward homes, as sparks ignited them. By 7:30 p.m., the blaze had swept through 20 houses, burning some to the ground and charring the interiors of others.
The inferno was undeterred by recent work to clear brush from 100 yards around the houses.
Richard Vogel, 77, spoke to the Oragne County Register and stated that he watched as the flames advanced from about a quarter-mile below his house Wednesday evening. After about a minute, the dry brush of the hillside exploded, sending columns of flame surging upward. At that point, he knew his home of 30 years stood no chance against the fire’s onslaught.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. But Southern California Edison issued a brief incident report “out of an abundance of caution,” saying, “Our information reflects circuit activity occurring close in time to the reported time of the fire. Our investigation is ongoing.”
Some of California’s worst fires were caused by power lines damaged by winds, including the 2018 Camp Fire that devastated Paradise and other Northern California communities.
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