Laguna Niguel, Orange County, CA: A fast moving brush fire that erupted late afternoon on Wednesday, May 11, as a three-acre fire in Aliso Wood Canyon has spread to approximately 195 acres as of around 11:00 p.m. between Laguna Beach and the city of Laguna Niguel in Orange County.

The wind-driven fire has destroyed approximately 20 multi-million dollar Laguna Niguel homes in its path at this time. Many homes are seen completely burned, along with vehicles in Key News Network video from the scene. Ground and air crews are battling the blaze.

The growing fire prompted mandatory and voluntary evacuations in areas where the fire was most threatening. The Orange County Fire Authority announced animal evacuation assistance from the Mission Viejo Animal Services at (949) 470-3045, Ext. 0. There is also a map for residents to access online if evacuation orders are in place for their area. It can be accessed here, or a hotline is available for those who are unable to access the map. Call the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) hotline at (714) 628-7085.

The OCFA plans to update the status of the “Coastal Fire” early Thursday morning. Property damage assessment teams will soon start inspecting fire damages, OCFA announced on Twitter.

OCFA shared a link that is updated in real time of all evacuation areas. It can be found here.

Late Thursday morning, May 12, OCFA reported the fire is at 200 acres with approximately 550 firefighters assigned to the incident. Around 1:00 p.m., a press release announced that Orange County Fire Authority Division Chief Baryic Hunter, Director of Emergency Services, requested the Chair of the Board of Supervisors to issue the emergency proclamation on behalf of the Orange County Board of Supervisors.

The press release stated that the “emergency proclamation allows the county to fully deploy all available resources, actions and measures deemed necessary to ensure the safety and welfare of Orange County residents and property. Assistance from other local agencies in the Southern California area is supplementing local resources.”

OCFA said in an update Thursday evening that evacuations for neighborhoods impacted by the fire will remain in place overnight as crews continue to work to render the area safe.

The status of the fire has been updated – total of 200 acres impacted, 15% containment, 20 homes destroyed, 11 homes damaged and 550 firefighters are on the scene.

Two firefighters were reported injured by OCFA, and have been released from the hospital.

Residents with additional questions can contact the 24-hour EOC hotline at (714) 628-7085.

Video: Keith Johnson, Photojournalist / KNN

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