Silverado Fire: 13K+ Acres, 40% Contained Thousands Return Home

LAKE FOREST, CA — Thousands of residents evacuated due to the Silverado Fire returned to their homes Wednesday as firefighters worked to contain the blaze which blackened 13,390 acres this week. Containment has increased to 40 percent as of 8:30 a.m., Thursday.

Some evacuation orders remain in the areas of Foothill Ranch and Whiting Ranch, while other communities remain on alert.

Two firefighters were critically injured during the firefight which began Monday morning. Though thousands of homes were threatened in the blaze, no damage has been reported to any homes in the area.

On Wednesday, the spread of fire slowed significantly due to increased humidity and decreased winds in the area of the fire, according to a CalFire report.

"The winds we've had today were very calm," said firefighter Edwin Zuniga, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, also known as CAL FIRE, now in charge of the firefighting effort.

Crews will actively patrol the fireline throughout the evening, mopping-up and securing additional containment lines.

"I haven't seen a big push. It's a light breeze, but nothing significant." Firefighters are not engaged in any active fire fronts, Zuniga said. "That tells us the fire activity is very minimal."

While more than 69,000 buildings were threatened by flames, none were destroyed. On Wednesday night, a mere 1,500 homes remained threatened due to the Silverado Fire.

EVACUATIONS:

As of 8 p.m. Wednesday, Silverado evacuations were still in place for:

• Jackson Ranch and Williams Canyon
• Modjeska Canyon
• Zone 3 of Lake Forest
  • South of Espaller, Esternay and Viaggio
  • West of Tessera, Touraine, and Caloutte
  • North of Balistrade, Bake Parkway, and Rue de Valore
• Zone 4 of Lake Forest
  • South of Whiting Ranch Park, Vista Portola, and Vista Modjeska
  • West of Santiago Canyon Road
  • North of Fawn Ridge Road, Pendleton Road, and Misty Ridge Lane
  • East of Cedar Ridge Road
• Silverado Canyon
• Live Oak Canyon

Refer to the latest evacuation information on CalFire.

Road closures as of 8 p.m. included:

• Southbound 241 at Highway 91
• Northbound 261 at Irvine Boulevard
• Northbound 133 at 1-5
• Santiago Canyon at Highway 241

Evacuation centers open Wednesday evening included:

• El Toro High School - 24 hours
• Norman P. Murray Community Center 8 a.m. until 9 p.m.

Animals should be taken to the OC Fair and Events Center

The Frank R. Bowerman Landfill in Irvine was damaged in the fire, according to Orange County Waste & Recycling, which owns and operates the landfill.

"OCWR staff have reported significant damage to the environmental control and stormwater infrastructure resulting in multiple spot fires throughout the landfill property," OCWR said in a statement Wednesday.

No structures or heavy equipment were damaged, however, and no injuries were reported.

This follows a night of moderate fire behavior as red flag conditions —high winds, low humidity and dry vegetation — ended, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

For Thursday, Saddleback Valley Unified School District closuresinclude: Foothill Ranch Elementary School, Melinda Heights Elementary School, Portola Hills Elementary School.

The repopulation Wednesday morning of parts of Irvine was a "testament to the hard work of all firefighters on the ground and in the air the have worked hard the past two days to protect life and property," according to Orange County Fire Authority's Steve Concialdi, who added that no homes have been damaged or destroyed as a result of the Silverado Fire.

At its height, 70,000 people were under evacuation orders in Irvine and another 9,500 evacuated in Lake Forest, according to the OCFA and Lake Forest officials.

About 1,200 personnel were assigned to fight the fire, Concialdi said. They're backed up by at least 14 helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, according to OCFA Chief Brian Fennessy.

The fire erupted at 6:47 a.m. Monday in the area of Santiago Canyon and Silverado Canyon roads in the Santa Ana Mountains.

Late Monday, Southern California Edison told California officials that a lashing wire may have contacted its overhead primary conductor, sparking the fire. SCE sent a letter to the California Public Utilities Commission on Monday night acknowledging it had overhead electrical equipment in the area where the blaze broke out.

Five firefighters have been injured in the Silverado blaze, Fennessy said. Two are in critical condition and the three others have been treated for minor injuries at local hospitals and released, the fire chief said.

Those wishing to donate to the injured firefighters can contribute to the OCPFA Fallen Firefighters Relief Fund at www.ocfirefighters.org.

The two firefighters critically injured are 26 and 31 years old. Both sustained second- and third-degree burns about 12:15 p.m. Monday, one over 65 percent of his body and the other over half his body, Fennessy said.

Both firefighters were intubated at OC Global Medical Center in Santa Ana, he said.

Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes warned "looky loos" to stay out of the area because they can clog up roads needed for first responders to quickly respond to emergencies.

Barnes also said con artists are using the fires to trick residents into thinking they're donating to a good cause. Police and fire agencies will never call for donations, so people should hang up on anyone purporting to represent police and fire seeking donations, Barnes said.

The Santa Ana Zoo was sheltering about 150 animals from the Orange County Zoo in Irvine Regional Park that were moved out because of both the Silverado and Blue Ridge wildfires.

Full containment isn't expected until Nov. 10.

City News Service contributed to this report