Silverado And Blue Ridge Fires: All Evacuation Orders Lifted

Two wildfires have burned more than 25,000 acres combined in Orange and San Bernardino counties -- the Blue Ridge Fire between Chino Hills and Yorba Linda and the Silverado Fire in the hills near Irvine.

All evacuation orders and warnings for both fires were lifted shortly before noon, according to the Orange County Fire Authority, which advised residents to be careful when returning, since fire crews are still at work.

Here's what we know so far today:

SILVERADO FIRE

• Acreage: 13,390
• Containment: 40%
• Structures threatened: 1,557 (that's down from more than 69,000 earlier this week)
• Structures destroyed: None
• Resources deployed: 1,200+ firefighters

Evacuation orders initially in place for roughly 70,000 homes in Irvine were lifted Wednesday afternoon. All other evacuation warnings and orders were lifted shortly before noon today.
Schools in the Irvine Unified School District also reopened today.

Fire crews were able to save thousands of homes in the area from being destroyed.

On Monday, however, two firefighters were burned over at least half their bodies and were intubated. Orange County Fire Chief Brian Fennesy described them as "gravely injured."

Three other firefighters have sustained minor injuries.

Nothing is confirmed yet, but Southern California Edison has notified the state that its power line may have sparked the fire.

The report says "it appears that a lashing wire that was attached to an underbuilt telecommunication line may have contact SCE’s overhead primary conductor which may have resulted in the ignition of the fire."

An internal investigation at SCE is ongoing, according to the report.

ROAD CLOSURES:

• Southbound 241 at Highway 91
• Northbound 261 at Irvine Boulevard
• Northbound 133 at the 5 Freeway
• Santiago Canyon Road at Highway 241

BLUE RIDGE FIRE

Strong Santa Ana Winds gusting to more than 90 miles per hour have driven the Blue Ridge Fire and Silverado Fire across thousands of acres, grounding firefighting aircraft, forcing tens of thousands of people to flee and gravely injuring two firefighters. (David McNew/Getty Images)

• Acreage: 14,334
• Containment: 30%
• Structures threatened: 20,099
• Structures damaged/destroyed: one structure destroyed, seven damaged, per CalFire
• Resources deployed: 1,000+ firefighters

All evacuations and warnings in the affected areas were lifted at 5 p.m. Wednesday. All roads in the area have reopened, according to CalFire.

HOW WILL THE FIRES IMPACT VOTING?

All ballots in the affected drop boxes have been retrieved and secured by Registrar of Voters’ Ballot Collection Teams under escort by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

You can find updated ballot dropbox info here.

HOW WE’RE REPORTING ON THIS

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.

FIRE RESOURCES

• Red Flag Warnings Issued. Why You Should Be Ready To Evacuate
• Every Day Is Fire Season. Here's How Angelenos Can Prepare Right Now
• How To Find Out About Fire Evacuations In Your Area
• How To Keep Yourself Safe From Wildfire Smoke
• The Air Is Brown — Should I Wear A Mask?
• This Is Why Fire Officials Don't Want You To Stay And Defend Your Home
• What Does 'Containment' Of A Fire Mean, Exactly?
• What Does A 'Red Flag Warning' Mean, Exactly?
• What To Do — And Not Do — When You Get Home After A Wildfire
• How To Avoid Getting Towed During LA's Red Flag Parking Restrictions
• If You Want To Help Fire Victims, Resist The Urge To Volunteer

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