Evan J. LancasterA wildfire in Laguna Beach quickly spread to more than 140 acres on Thursday, Feb. 10, fueled by powerful Santa Ana winds and increased temperatures, which are set to impact the city of Irvine through the weekend, according to National Weather Service advisories.
Early Thursday, Feb. 10, a multi-acre wildfire in North Laguna Beach prompted mandatory evacuations for residents in Irvine Cove and Emerald Bay.
The Orange County Fire Authority has not determined the cause of the Emerald Fire which was reported at approximately 4:00 a.m., and promoted the closures of Pacific Coast Highway in both directions on Thursday, Feb. 10.
The @OrangeCountyEOC Public Information Hotline is activated to respond to questions from impacted residents at (714) 628-7085. #EmeraldFire
Additional information including real time evacuation information can be found here: https://t.co/t9GjOBNH3q pic.twitter.com/82qx5vxZdh
— OCFA PIO (@OCFireAuthority) February 10, 2022
In terms of the wildfire’s size, the Irvine-based Orange County Fire Authority estimated the Emerald Fire is 145-acres and approximately 5% contained as of 12:00 p.m., according to the City of Laguna Beach.
The fire is no threat to the city of Irvine, and the city has opened the Los Olivos Community Center as a shelter for Laguna residents affected by the blaze.
All trails within Crystal Cove State Park and Laguna Wilderness Park are closed due to the #EmeraldFire.
Bommer Canyon remains open, but access to those parks from the West Fork Trail is closed at the Laguna Wilderness intersect. pic.twitter.com/SIE1ZmihkJ
— City of Irvine (@City_of_Irvine) February 10, 2022
As of 12:20 p.m., CalFire had yet to update its incident page regarding the number of structures threatened or damaged, but has listed care and reception centers for those in need of shelter.
While OCFA firefighters continue to work on the Emerald Fire, upcoming forecasts from the National Weather Service indicated high wind gusts up to 60 miles per hour and temperatures reaching the mid-90s over the weekend.
The NWS wind advisory is set to impact Rancho Cucamonga, Corona, Santa Ana, Anaheim, Garden Grove, Irvine, Orange, Fullerton and Mission Viejo, and is expected to remain in effect until 4:00 p.m. on February 10, according to the release.
While high winds may subside closer to the weekend, the National Weather Service has also issued a heat advisory, which can also increase the probability of wildfire to Riverside County and cities in Orange County, including Irvine, Orange, Fullerton and Mission Viejo.
The heat advisory will remain in effect until Sunday, Feb. 13 at 6:00 p.m.
The city of Laguna Beach is updating this map, which shows road closures and the status of evacuations for areas impacted by the Emerald Fire.
Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting Irvine Weekly and our advertisers.