500 Homes Evacuated in Calif. Wild Fire
Pastor Dale Morgan
500 Homes Evacuated in Calif. Wild Fire*
Monday March 12, 2007 1:46 AM
By ANA BEATRIZ CHOLO
Associated Press Writer
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - A fast-moving brush fire scorched 1,000 acres of
parched hillside and charred at least two homes Sunday, forcing
authorities to evacuate more than 500 homes, Orange County fire
officials said.
The nearly 2-square-mile fire threatened many other houses and the
firefighters working to protect them, Anaheim city spokesman John J.
Nicoletti said.
``This is a very dangerous firefight,'' said Orange County Fire
Authority Chief Ed Fleming. ``The terrain is quite rugged, with homes on
top of ridges, and the fire picks up speed as it heads up the hill.''
Two firefighters suffered minor injuries, authorities said.
The fire, stoked by hot dry winds and fueled by chaparral, spread south
and west quickly in an unincorporated part of Orange County and
threatened multimillion-dollar homes here and in Anaheim Hills, about 35
miles southeast of Los Angeles. Authorities said the blaze may have been
started by a vehicle fire, and were investigating if the car was stolen
and set on fire to destroy evidence.
Richard Steffy said he saw the fire out his window when he awoke Sunday
morning.
``Boom, billows of smoke,'' he said. ``It looked so close.''
Capt. Steve Miller of the Orange County Fire Authority said winds
blowing up to 35 mph were making firefighting difficult for the more
than 800 firefighters on the scene. Temperatures were in the 90s and
humidity was at 5 percent.
Firefighters were aided by helicopters and planes dropping water and
retardant on the flames, and police went door to door to warn residents
to evacuate.
The area, like much of Southern California, is under a red flag alert,
indicating a high fire danger. A prolonged drought has left the
chaparral-covered hills highly combustible.
Fleeing fires has become a part of life for many residents.
Susan Snell, who has lived in Anaheim Hills for 23 years, followed a
well-worn routine Sunday: She put her cat in a carrier, packed tax and
insurance papers and photographs and found a good vantage point.
``It's freaky what you end up taking with you,'' she said as she watched
television at the Anaheim Hills Community Center for updates.
Meanwhile, another brush fire had started about 20 miles away in Corona
in Riverside County, said Capt. Julie Hutchinson from the California
Department of Forestry. It had consumed about 25 acres but didn't
threaten any houses, said Hutchinson.