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Dry conditions, warm temperatures and Santa Ana winds are fueling the Bond Fire in Orange County. The fire started around 10 p.m. Wednesday night at a home in the 29400 block of Silverado Canyon Road. Fueled by strong winds from the northeast, it quickly spread to nearby vegetation.
At a press conference on Thursday at 3 p.m., Chief Brian Fennessy with the Orange County Fire Authority said the brush fire has burned through 7,200 acres and is zero percent contained. 25,000 people have been evacuated, and 500 firefighters are on the scene.
He said the fire had "significant potential for growth", and that even if residents didn't currently see smoke or hear sirens, if they had any doubt they should evacuate.
"I can't tell you how many times I've heard people say 'well, I just didn't realize the fire was gonna get there as quickly as it did'."
Just two months ago, the fast-moving Silverado Fire traversed across the same Loma Ridge that's now being threatened by the Bond Fire.
Captain Thang Nguyen said that the current weather was a major cause.
"A big driving factor is that we have really low relative humidity, which made the fuel pretty susceptible to burning. And then in the canyons, we've got pretty strong winds, so that's what we're dealing with," Nguyen said.
Two firefighters were injured battling the fire this afternoon. They were treated by paramedics and transported to a hospital for further care.
Mandatory: Mandatory evacuation orders are in effect for...
Voluntary: Voluntary evacuation orders or evacuation warnings are in effect for...
Check this interactive evacuation map.
For people:
Residents who need to evacuate are urged to stay with family, with friends, or in a hotel. The OCFA tweeted early this morning, "Due to COVID-19, no congregate shelter is offered."
For animals:
A public information hotline has been activated so residents can call for more information and resources -- 714-628-7085.
The Irvine, Newport-Mesa, Saddleback Valley and Tustin unified school districts have announced school closures and temporary shifts to distance learning in response to the Bond Fire.
The multiple fires that have broken out across Southern California over the past 24 hours have made air quality especially dangerous in some areas. Plumes of smoke from these fires are being pushed out towards the ocean by Santa Ana winds.
If it smells like a campfire outside and you're considering outdoor activities... DON'T. The mass amounts of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) burrow deep into your body, spread through your bloodstream and can cause internal problems.
Elevated levels of PM2.5 from fires have been linked to increased rates of heart attacks, strokes and arrhythmias. Those with medical conditions like asthma and COPD could see their symptoms exacerbated, and their likelihood of hospitalization increase.
Head to Fire.AirNow.gov to check the air quality in your area.
A spokesperson from the National Weather Service told LAist this week that the conditions right now are similar to the ones that caused the massive Thomas Fire a few years ago. That fire, which started in December 2017, burned through more than 280,000 acres in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties , forcing more than 100,000 people to evacuate and causing $2.2 billion in damage.
Inland Orange County is under a red-flag warning until 10 p.m. Saturday for extreme fire danger due to high winds and low relative humidity.
Just two months ago, the fast moving Silverado Fire traversed across the same Loma Ridge that's now being threatened by the Bond Fire.
And 13 year ago, the Santiago Fire consumed nearly the entire area, just about up to Silverado Canyon.
That's sort of good news — although not from an ecological standpoint — because grasses and some of the heavier fuels have likely been cleared out. Hopefully, that will give firefighters a reprieve.
That said, there are also hills around Irvine Lake that haven't burned since the 1990s, and parts of Silverado Canyon that haven't burned in more than a century, at least according to available records. Meaning, heavier, harder to extinguish fuels are likely present.
The Bond Fire started around 10 p.m. on Wednesday, December 2, 2020 at a home in the 29400 block of Silverado Canyon Road and quickly spread to nearby vegetation.
For the latest information straight from local emergency officials, check the following websites and social media accounts:
This is a developing story. We fact check everything and rely only on information from credible sources (think: fire, police, government officials and reporters on the ground). Sometimes, however, we make mistakes and/or initial reports turn out to be wrong. In all cases, we strive to bring you the most accurate information in real time and will update this story as new information becomes available.
Monica Bushman, Carla Javier, Julia Paskin, Jacob Margolis and Elina Shatkin contributed reporting.
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