SANTA ANA, Calif. — Orange County remained on high alert Tuesday as a pair of wind-driven wildfires continued their race toward populated areas, forcing nearly 100,000 residents to evacuate and choking much of the region with smoke.
The larger of the blazes, the Silverado fire, broke out shortly after 6:45 a.m. local time Monday in the brush country around Santiago Canyon and Silverado Canyon roads. It has burned more than 11,199 acres, pushed west by Santa Ana winds to the suburban edge of Irvine and Lake Forest. By Tuesday morning, more than 90,000 people were under evacuation orders in the foothills, and the fire was 5% contained.
The cause of the blaze, which is burning on hilly terrain in state lands, is not clear. But in a report to the state Public Utilities Commission, Southern California Edison said it was investigating whether its electrical equipment may have caused the fire. The brief report said it appeared that a "lashing wire" may have struck a primary conductor, and an investigation was underway.
At least two firefighters working on hand crews were severely burned as they battled the flames, according to Orange County Fire Authority Chief Brian Fennessy.
The firefighters, ages 26 and 31, were both placed on ventilators after suffering second- and third-degree burns over half their bodies, Fennessy said.
"This is tough for me, tough for all my firefighters and certainly for the families of my two injured firefighters," Fennessy said during a news conference outside the Orange County Global Medical Center, where the firefighters were being treated.
There were no official updates on their conditions Tuesday morning, Capt. Thahn Nguyen of fire authority said.
Nguyen said their injuries were "pretty severe," and he could not say whether they were expected to make a full recovery.
The Blue Ridge fire erupted later Monday in Santa Ana Canyon — a notorious wind tunnel said to have given the blustery Santa Anas their name.
The flames spread quickly as the fire pushed west toward Yorba Linda, threatening the town's Hidden Hills community. By Tuesday morning, the blaze had engulfed 8,000 acres and was 0% contained. At least one home had been damaged. Evacuations were ordered Tuesday morning at Diamond Bar Golf Course on Golden Springs Drive.
Monday's dangerous winds — which saw gusts of up to 80 mph fueling the aggressive blazes — will begin to dissipate Tuesday afternoon, the National Weather Service said.
"They're not going to be as strong as they were yesterday," said Casey Oswant, a weather service meteorologist in San Diego.
Oswant said Tuesday's gusts should peak around 30 mph and may start to spread moisture when they change direction and flow back onshore as the day goes on.
A red flag warning will remain in effect in Orange County until 6 p.m., she said, while high wind warnings will expire at 2 p.m.
But people should not "completely relax," as dryness is still a concern across the region.
"Definitely avoid burning if necessary, and if you see a fire, call the authorities," Oswant said. "The threat is definitely still there, even though the winds are coming down."
Monday's combination of intense winds and low humidity were considered some of the most dangerous fire weather conditions of the year. The weather service reported gusts of 96 mph in the San Gabriel Mountains just south of Santa Clarita.
The winds also carried ash and soot left from the Bobcat fire earlier this month back into the skies, further choking Southern California with bad air.
The conditions forced Southern California Edison to warn customers in all of Los Angeles and Ventura counties, except for the Antelope Valley, that power could be shut off to lower chances of fires being sparked by downed power lines.
As of Tuesday morning, about 20,537 customers were without power, mostly in San Bernardino County. An additional 18,500 remained under consideration for a preemptive shutoff, according to Edison's website.
The strong winds also hindered firefighting efforts Monday: Water-dropping aircraft had to be pulled off the Silverado blaze around 10:30 a.m. The aircraft remained grounded through the afternoon.
The county fire authority's Nguyen said he expects air teams to return to the air Tuesday.
In all, 700 fire personnel were battling the Silverado fire, and 200 were on scene at the Blue Ridge fire, officials said.
In Irvine, many parks remain closed. The University of California, Irvine said it was suspending campus operations through Tuesday because smoke and ash were making the air hazardous.
