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TRABUCO CANYON (CNS) – A brush fire authorities say was unintentionally caused by heavy equipment used by an Orange County public works crew exploded in size overnight, prompting more evacuation warnings and some school closures.
The Airport Fire began about 1 p.m. Monday near Trabuco Canyon Road in the area of the remote-controlled airplane airport, said Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Sean Doran.
By Monday night, the fire had grown to more than 5,400 acres, but Tuesday morning, the OCFA estimated its size at about 9,000 acres, with no containment. Officials said “much of the terrain is steep and extremely difficult to access,” putting increased reliance on water- and retardant- dropping aircraft.
Orange County Fire Authority Deputy Chief TJ McGovern told reporters Monday night that the fire was accidentally sparked by a county work crew. McGovern said Orange County Public Works crews were working in the area near Trabuco Creek Road, using heavy equipment to place boulders meant to replace barriers used to restrict access to the vegetation.
“The fire is classified as unintentional. The cause of the fire was a spark from heavy equipment,” McGovern said. “After placing a load of boulders, the operators began seeing smoke coming from the area of the loader’s basket.”
“The operator and the supervisor used multiple fire extinguishers and the loaders to attempt to extinguish the fire while 911 was being called.”
He said that when crews initially arrived on scene, “they recorded a half-acre vegetation fire on both sides of the road and that there was a potential for a large, major incident right off the get go. Crews immediately requested multiple additional resources to help from outside of our county, to our neighboring counties and to our region.”
A mandatory evacuation order was issued for the Robinson Ranch community in Rancho Santa Margarita. Voluntary evacuation warnings were in place for residents on Rose Canyon Road, Trabuco Creek Road, Trabuco Canyon Road, Trabuco Oaks Drive, Joplin Loop and Cook’s Corner.
Additional evacuation warnings were announced Tuesday morning near Ortega Highway, including Caspers Regional Park and Blue Jay Campground.
A “care and reception shelter” for evacuees was established at the Rancho Santa Margarita Bell Tour Regional Community Center, 22232 El Paseo. Large animals can be sheltered at the Orange County Fair Grounds, 88 Fair Drive in Costa Mesa.
Additional evacuation warnings were also in effect for a host of Riverside County areas near the fire zone, generally in an area east of the Orange County line, north of the San Diego County line, south of Bedford Motor Way and west of Interstate 15. An evacuation center was established at Santiago High School, 1395 E. Foothill Parkway, Corona. Large animals can be taken to the Jurupa Valley Animal Shelter, 6851 Van Buren Blvd., according to the Riverside County Fire Department.
There were no reports of any serious injuries or structural damage.
The OCFA was using new firefighting helicopters that can dump 1,000 gallons of water on the flames, Doran said.
The Corona-Norco Unified School District opted to close Wilson, Temescal Valley and Todd elementary schools Tuesday due to the proximity of the fire and the resulting poor air quality. All schools in the Lake Elsinore Unified School District were also closed, and all before- and after-school activities were canceled. A college and career fair that had been scheduled by the district Tuesday evening was also canceled.
Robinson and Trabuco Elementary schools in the Saddleback Valley Unified School District in Orange County were also closed Tuesday.
Several other districts in the area announced that officials would be closely monitoring the fire conditions, and possibly adjusting outdoor activities due to the air quality.
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