LOS ANGELES _ Firefighters on Tuesday braced for another day of high temperatures as they continued to battle a 4,000-acre brush fire in the Cleveland National Forest that forced evacuations in two Orange County, Calif., canyons.
The Holy fire was moving rapidly into the forest, which straddles Orange and Riverside counties. One structure was destroyed, said Shannon Widor, spokesman for the Orange County Emergency Operations Center. The fire was 2 percent contained as of Tuesday morning.
About 600 personnel were involved in the battle, and authorities reported two heat-related injuries. Numerous roads and campgrounds were closed.
Excessive heat and red flag warnings were issued for parts of Southern California on Tuesday, with temperatures expected to reach the 90s around the fire zone.
The blaze was visible from as far away as Catalina Island, producing a towering plume of thick smoke. Authorities ordered evacuations in Holy Jim Canyon, the Trabuco Canyon residence tract, and the Blue Jay and Falcon campgrounds.
Firefighters were battling the fire with water-dropping aircraft, and officials have said that more evacuations in additional Orange County foothill areas were possible. Although the fire was burning away from suburban tracts, officials set up a strike team in the Robinson Ranch area in case of a shift. Officials emphasized Tuesday that Robinson Ranch was not immediately threatened.
Both Holy Jim and Trabuco canyons are rural areas dotted with cabins and larger homes. The fire broke out at about 1:30 p.m. local time Monday.
