Firefighters are making progress battling the massive Airport Fire on Sunday in Orange and Riverside counties, where 23,519 acres have been charred with containment now at 19%.
"The weather has been great with cooler temperatures, the marine layer and the higher, relative humidity,'' Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Steve Concialdi said on Saturday.
Relative humidity Sunday was expected to be about 66% over most of the fire below 3,500 feet, fire officials said. Light showers or drizzle were forecast for Sunday night into Monday morning.
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Officials said crews were having "notable success in increasing containment" in areas such as Lake Elsinore, Decker Canyon Road and Lakeland Village.
Crews were expected to keep working to clear lines of vegetation and use favorable weather to help put out flames.
"The work of hand crews, and the arrival of additional handcrews, are critical to success during this advantageous window," officials said.
The Airport Fire began at about 1 p.m. Monday near Trabuco Canyon Road in the area of the remote-controlled airplane airport, OCFA Capt. Sean Doran said. Officials said the fire was sparked by a county public works crew using heavy equipment. The cause was deemed accidental.
Fire officials estimate the fire will be fully contained by lines of cleared vegetation by September 24.
Evacuation orders
- Zones: ELC01, ORT01-B; Areas include -- Caspers Regional Park, San Juan Springs, Blue Jay campground.
- Zones: RVC-1521, RVC-1622, RVC-1724-B, RVC-1725, RVC-1798, RVC-1800, RVC-1802, RVC-1865, RVC-1866, RVC-1933, RVC-1934, RVC-1935, RVC-1999
Evacuation warnings
- Ortega Highway
- Robinson Ranch HOA
- Trabuco Highlands HOA
- Trabuco Highland Apartment Complex
- the East Side of Coto de Caza
- Silverado Canyon
- Modjeska Canyon
- Rose Canyon Road
- Trabuco Creek Road
- Trabuco Canyon Road
- Trabuco Oaks Drive
- Joplin Loop
- Cook's Corner
- Dove Canyon
- El Cariso
Residents can click here to determine if their homes are impacted by evacuation orders or warnings.
Evacuation centers
- Foothill Ranch Library, 27002 Cabriole Way
- Large animals -- Orange County Fairgrounds, Los Alamitos Race Course
- Large animals -- Nohl Ranch Saddle Club at 6352 E. Nohl Ranch Road in Anaheim
Road closures
- Trabuco Canyon Road and Trabuco Creek Road;
- El Toro Road and Live Oak Canyon Road;
- Ortega Highway at Nichols Institute
No additional injuries were reported from the fire. Earlier in the week, officials said 10 firefighters had suffered minor injuries fighting the blaze, many of them heat-related, while two civilians were also injured, one with an unknown medical condition and the other suffering burn injuries.
Cal Fire said 107 residential, commercial and other structures were destroyed, and another 12 were damaged.
