A wildfire in Orange County, California, has spread across 5,432 acres as of late Monday night.
According to a CalFire map, the fire ignited around 1 p.m. during fire safety operations near Trabuco Canyon and is rapidly moving northeast.
Residents in Robinson Ranch, Trabuco Highlands, and the Trabuco Highland Apartment Complex have been ordered to evacuate, while nearby neighborhoods are under voluntary evacuation warnings.
“As of 9:30 p.m., the blaze has grown to an estimated 5,432 acres, and firefighters will be on duty throughout the night,” announced the Orange County Fire Authority on X.
Reportedly, the fire started near a field for remote-controlled airplanes, likely caused by sparks from heavy equipment used by an Orange County public works team that was moving boulders to create barriers across Trabuco Creek Road.
Deputy Chief TJ McGovern of the Orange County Fire Authority explained, “The fire was unintentional, resulting from equipment sparking during barrier construction to protect vegetation from the current dry conditions.”
The fire spread rapidly, demonstrating aggressive growth as it surpassed 5,400 acres within just eight hours. Around 1,000 firefighting personnel, including helicopters and other aircraft, have been deployed, though the fire remained 0 percent contained by Monday night. Thankfully, no structures have been damaged.
In a report around 8 p.m. local time, CalFire noted, “The fire poses a threat to structures and is moving uphill, influenced by the terrain and wind,” as detailed in their updates.
Two firefighters were hospitalized for heat-related injuries, and one civilian suffered from smoke inhalation, but all individuals are expected to recover.
Cleveland National Forest District Ranger Darrell Vance commented that the fire was nearing the scar left by the 2018 Holy Fire, which burned over 23,000 acres. “While we can’t make exact predictions, we hope the prior burn scar will help mitigate the spread,” he said.