Laguna Beach's Emerald Fire: 150-Acres Burn, 20% Containment, Evacuations Lifted

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — A large, wind-fueled brush fire known as the Emerald Fire burned 150 acres near the north of the Laguna Beach community of Emerald Bay and neighboring Irvine Cove. The fire threatened multi-million dollar homes and lead to the evacuation of hundreds of residents. The fire is 20 percent contained as of Friday morning, according to an Orange County Fire Authority spokesperson.

Still, no homes or businesses have burned and no injuries were reported in the unincorporated area of Orange County.

Evacuation orders for the Emerald Fire were lifted for the communities of North Laguna Beach, Emerald Bay north and south, and Irvine Cove though fire officials remained overnight, watching for hot spots. The Orange County Parks and California State Parks remain closed in the fire-affected areas. The winds have died down, however, gusts continue through the canyon areas as firefighters battle the blaze from the air and ground.

SEE: 8 Laguna Beach Fire Photos: Evacuations Rekindle Memories

Much of the Pacific Coast Highway was closed during the initial firefight, however, all lanes reopened by 11 a.m.

Firefighters managed to keep the bulk of the fire away from the densely packed homes in the area, which houses roughly 6,500 residents, officials said at a news briefing. During the evacuation, firefighters stationed engines in front of nearly every home in the unincorporated gated community of Emerald Bay, all multimillion-dollar residences.

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 said. Air tankers raced to the flames around 9 a.m. to hold the fire on the ridge between Laguna Beach and Newport Beach.

All Laguna Beach schools canceled classes for the day, however are expected to reopen Friday.

The cause of the Laguna Beach fire remains under investigation.

Chief Brian Fennessy of the Orange County Fire Authority urged Orange County residents to heed fire service warnings. Now is the time to take care of defensible space, he said.

"Too often we see residents wait too long, who say they want to stay and take care of their homes, and that is when we are coming in and it's too late," Fennessy said.

Evacuees were taken in at the Susi Q Center in Laguna Beach and the Los Olivos Community Center in Irvine, Mayor Sue Kempf said. An impromptu gathering of early morning evacuees at the Crystal Cove Shopping Center Starbucks was not an official hub, but many weary residents found their bills paid, thanks to a special donation.

The fire burned north and west, toward Newport Beach, and was pushed into the canyon areas and away from structures throughout the day.

"We are defending homes, and we have many resources arriving," Fennessy said. "The wind is supposed to lighten this morning, but they may pick up again. I am satisfied with the number of resources that have arrived and are en route. I'm pretty confident that we have a handle on this fire, as long as resources continue to join us."

Aerial attack helicopters used a large reservoir, the city's new Helipod. There, waterdrop choppers use it as a "filling station" on the nearby fire road.

Larger water tankers also dropped a significant amount of water on the ridgeline between Irvine Cove and Crystal Cove, creating a fire break between homes and the north-bound blaze.

Thus far, those drops have been successful.

Throughout the day, fire officials kept a close eye on weather reports, as Santa Ana winds were expected to reduce by Friday.

Humidity was expected to remain low and temperatures would remain unseasonably warm, according to the National Weather Service. Overnight, the weather service reported wind speeds up to 49 mph in the area. The area remained under a Santa Ana wind advisory until 4 p.m. Thursday.

There is no threat to the city of Irvine, Aliso Viejo or south Laguna Beach as of this report. Fennessy told evacuees — both under voluntary and mandatory orders — to follow "Ready, Set, Go strategies."

"If we tell you to go, it's time to go," he warned.

This map shows evacuation orders and maps in real-time. Below is a look at the areas under evacuation orders in red, and those under a warning in orange, as of 6:30 a.m.

Evacuation warnings were set for all of North Laguna, which includes all those in the area north of Broadway, according to the city.

"Homes are currently threatened with the possibility of more structures threatened if the fire spreads," the city warned in a news release.

Along with schools, the brush fire also forced the Thursday closure of Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park, as well as Laguna Coast Wilderness Park.

Firefighters from the Laguna Beach Fire Department, Orange County Fire Authority and surrounding agencies from Los Angeles to Newport Beach Fire, Cal Fire to Anaheim Fire battled the ferocious blaze from both air and ground. Multiple other agencies have joined in the fight, as this is the sole fire burning in the Golden State this week.

More than two dozen engines and eight strike teams of engines were sent to the fire, along with three helicopters. Bulldozers created fire breaks, halting the progression amid the gusting winds. The neighborhood was locked down, and the Orange County Sheriff's Department is in the area to ensure no looting occurs during the evacuations.

Fennessy noted the blaze is supposed to be atypical for this time of year but has become more commonplace in recent years.

Laguna Beach's ample 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, 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."

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

The blaze ignited in the middle of the brush-filled hillside above the unincorporated Emerald Bay community, sparking questions among residents. Overnight, a large power outage affected 2,400 residents of the city.

Sarah Shtylman told Patch in a direct message Thursday she was getting ready for the day and noticed a bright orange glow near her home.

"I was concerned because it seemed clear it was a fire, but I wasn't sure where/how far away, so I started looking on Google and Twitter to track down what was going on. I couldn't find anything conclusive except for other user-submitted photos, so I took photos and videos and posted them," she told Patch.

According to the Laguna Beach Police Department, when an area is under an evacuation order, the following applies:

• LBPD orders all persons and their animals in the designated evacuation area(s) to immediately relocate to safer locations.
• Risk of loss of life and property is extreme and imminent.
• Evacuation is mandatory.
• Persons refusing to comply with an immediate evacuation order will not be forcibly removed from their homes but cannot expect rescue or other lifesaving assistance once the incident is underway.

The city is divided into zones for evacuation management. Click the photo below for an interactive map.

Read also:

6 Photos Of Laguna Beach Fire: Evacuations Rekindle Memories

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