Fire rages in the northern San Fernando Valley. Image by Associated Press.
Smoke from three wind-driven wildfires, including a massive blaze in the northern San Fernando Valley, has drifted across much of Orange County, making it difficult for some people to breathe and dropping specks of ash on cars.
Firefighters are trying to control a 2,600 acre blaze in Sylmar, a brush fire of undetermined size on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, and a 1-2 acre fire on the 91 Freeway in Corona, near Green River Road. Reporter Jennifer Muir says that residents of nearby Crestline Ridge Road are being evacuated with help from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. The Orange County Fire Authority also has dispatched a helicopter and fixed wing aircraft to help control the blaze.
(Readers can email reports to grobbins@ocregister.com)
The fires are being driven by Santa Ana winds that have gusted to 61 mph in Fremont Canyon, above the Anaheim Hills, 48 mph in nearby Harding Canyon, 35 mph in Orange and at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, 26 mph in Foothill Ranch, 25 mph in Bell Canyon, 23 mph in Huntington Beach, and 22 in Los Alamitos. The relative humidity has fallen below 10 percent in many areas, and temperatures have risen to the mid 80s.
A red flag fire weather warning is in effect through 4 p.m., but it might be extended if the winds continue to blow. Click here for Caltrans freeway cameras.
Plume from San Fernando fire wafts out to sea.
The winds have been especially fierce in the northern San Fernando Valley, where gusts up to 60 mph spread wildfire over 2,500 acres and have forced the evacuation of an estimated 10,000 people in the Sylmar area. The Associated Press says that the 5 Freeway is closed at the Newhall Pass. (Story). (LA County traffic map.) The fire has produced a smoke plume that is visible from parts of Orange County. As the satellite photo shows, the plume has already drifted more than 60 miles out to sea.
The conditions will drive thousands to the beach, where an astronomical high tide will send the surf lapping way up on the sand this morning in Seal Beach and Sunset Beach. There will be a 6′ 7” high tide at 9:25 a.m., jacked up by surf that could reach 5 feet in some areas. Read Laylan Connelly’s beach report.
The Santa Anas gusted to 55 mph in Fremont Canyon early today, and to 48 mph in nearby Harding Canyon, which burned during last year’s Santiago fire. Forecasters say the winds will ease through the morning and afternoon. But temperatures will soar into the 80s at the coast and 90s inland. By 7:30 a.m., temperatures had already hit the low 70s at the coast and upper 70s inland.
Register report Jennifer Muir contributed to this report.
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Why is the heat/winds so lingering this year?
We’re having normal Santa Ana wind events this year.
As of 10:18am I can see the smoke building and getting bigger as I look east from Anaheim Hills.
is there a fire in YOrba LInda? I can see a TON of smoke coming up from the hills behind my apartment?!
I am working in my office building in Ontario and I am on the 8th floor. I can see the 91fwy fire and the smoke is getting pretty bad.
There’s no fire in Yorba Linda. But there is a fire in nearby Corona, off Green River. OC fire officials helping with the situation. READERS: Please email me specific details, and include your name, hometown. Thanks, Gary Robbins. grobbins@ocregister.com
Sony, there is a fire on the 91fwy and the Green River exit. From what I can see from my office building….it appears to be heading east towards Anaheim Hills / Yorba Linda.
As of 10:36 the plume of smoke here in Anaheim Hills has grown quite a bit and even though I am near Cannon on the west part of Anaheim Hills I have seen some black ash outside blowing this way. Very dark right now….
Also, I have quite a view of the fire (smoke) in Sylmar north of LA.
Here’s a good website showing all fires. It’s updated twice daily, I think:
http://activefiremaps.fs.fed.us/fireplots/cgb2008320_0700.jpg
Sorry, this is the correct URL:
http://activefiremaps.fs.fed.us/activefiremaps.php?op=maps&rCode=cgb
There is fire in Yorba Linda.
Gary, download a program called Teamspeak and link to the Orange Fire IC channel.
I’m in Yorba Linda, the Bryant Ranch area and can see flames on the ridge just east of me
From my view at the Alta Vista CC in Placentia, looks like the fire is just south/east of here.
Has another fire popped up or is this the Anaheim Hill fire I am seeing?
It was shocking to walk outside in west Yorba Linda just now….the smell of smoke is quite strong, but the smoke plume to the east looks like it’s right down the street!
Right now I am really angry with the local news stations! Passing mentions about a fire in Orange County but NO COVERAGE! You would think we are in another part of the world!
Alot of smoke here at Imperial Hwy and La Palma, hard to breath!
We live in trabcuo cyn. do we need to to worry?
10:53am New fire spotted in the hills above Yorba Linda.
I’m off Yorba Linda Blvd & Fairmont and its very black over here. I took pictures but they don’t do it justice. I’m glad it’s not any closer.
Is the 91 fwy open or closed, how about the toll road 133? Does anyone know of a comprehensice active fire map the orange county fire authority is not up to date
Brea Hills on fire now.
I live at Cannon and Serrano in Orange and there does seem to be some thick grey smoke coming from the west. Is this a new incident?
It’s getting really bad over here, are you sure there is no fire?
Thank you, please keep use posted. We can not see anything from our house! May God be with us ALL!
Large ash dropings here at Disneyland Hotel pool
I work at Disneyland and there are ashes everywhere
The smoke from the 91 looks massive from Huntington Beach, and can smell smoke here too.
From my view from the top of Anaheim Hills looking towards the east and towards Yorba Linda, and to the North to LA it looks incredible. I can see three fires now and the whole area above the 91 towards LA is covered in brown/black smoke.
Fire in Brea now, too.
Getting worse, ash falling everwhere, smoke plume very dark.
Sony, what street are you on?
I am in Anaheim, and smoke is all around us and ash is falling. There is a new fire in Brea near Brea Olinda High School.
You really need to get someone on the ground. I just letf the Yorba Linda ice rink on La Palma and they are doing water drops in the hills north east of there. The fire is very close to Yorba Linda. Why is this not on the front page. I called Yorba Linda Police and the are evacuating people. You should post the streets. We have friends on Ernest Johnson and we were advised by the police that they should get their pets and leave.
There is a fire in Brea now
11:06 must be a fire in yorba. im here on YL Bl. and Placenta Ave. Looking north i can see smoke drifting from the east. Must be from the hills in YL.
I just opened the door here at my home in Cypress and I could smell the smoke. That’s what brought me to this article.
Why is the OC Register not covering these major fires? Is everyone off on the weekends?
Dude: The Register has been covering the situation since 5:30 a.m.
Chanel 4 news has their news copter up and they are saying it is Yorba LInda but the far end of east Yorba Linda
The new fire in Yorba Linda is at Valencia and Carbon Canyon.
We live in N. Yorba Linda (Vista Del Verde). I can see flames to the west, maybe brea, very nearby.
Sony, that’s correct.
11:13.. K. i cant see smoke from yorba fire. I see smoke from nearby.. It must be a house or building on fire. Im on YL and Placentia ave.
I hate the wind..
There is a fire in Brea as well..off Valencia and Brea Cyn Road…
Channel 11 finally showed a quick look at the OC fire.
There is a fire where Carbon Canyon road comes out above Yorba Linda/Brea. I can see the flames from my place. It’s east a little ways of Valencia ave going up into Carbon Canyon.
To Anaheim Hills, where in Yorba Linda can you see the new fire? I’m east of the Yorba Linda/La Palma intersection off La Palma… I can see a lot of smoke, but it’s hard to tell where it’s coming from. When I took a drive 45 min ago, it looked like it was all from out in Corona, but things may have changed…
Here in Cypress, CA We could smell the smoke inside our office building….We checked outside and just looking up it burns our eyes to look where it’s coming from…
Channel 4 news site says there is a fire in Brea, east of the 57, but the Caltrans cameras on the 57 at both Tonner Canyon and Imperial show clear skies and traffic moving. What’s up with the fire supposedly in Yorba Linda or Brea?
I’m off of yorba linda blvd, van buren. This smoke/fire looks really close. This isn’t from the corona fire.
Chanel 4 is doing a great job of coverage! http://www.nbclosangeles.com/live/?aid=31997849&vid=30518544
Is there a fire in yourba linda? cuz my family lives over there and they cant breath and say its really ashy, and they see thick smoke on top of there neighbors house and they live in the hills. are they in trouble? where is the fire in yorba linda?
There seems to be smoke coming from South Orange county/SanDiego. Is it just the wind bringing it down and up from that direction or is there a fire down there also?
Is there a fire in Brea too? I think MSNBC reported Brea had a fire too. Maybe its Yorba Linda fire that they reported.
The air quality in Anaheim Hills (east Anaheim) is pretty bad. We have the house sealed up and can still smell the smoke.
- Denise
There is another fire in Brea - looks like somewhere near Lambert and 57 freeway from my vantage point. Any details on where/how large?
Watching a fire burning up towards the area of Brea/Carbon Canyon Road by the Olinda Landfill. Looks nasty and heading west towards 57 Fwy.
11:50 East end of Anaheim Hills..atop of summit Pointe..Heavy smoke from the 91/Green River are trending South by South West..Winds to 30 MPH.
Does anybody know of the fire that is right below the Yorba Linda Dump?
I live in Long Beach and the air is filled with smoke…it looks like fog, it’s so thick.
I can smell fire is every where that is where I live in Anaheim but I am deaf myself.
There is apparently a new fire in Brea — any news on this? It seems I can see two smoke plumes from my location.
How can we help the folks who may be impacted. I am in corona (not in the impacted area), but want to help in any way I can. Are there any shelters on the corona side?
Well, there has been a thick layer of smoke along with the burning smell all the way down in Long Beach. I am wondering how my home is doing up in Anaheim Hills. Is it really threatening and dark out there from all the smoke?
I could swear the Santa Ana winds used to be mainly in October, rather than November.
The 57 is closed around tonner canyon
Santa Ana winds don’t get much attention during the winter because the fire danger is minimized by recent rainfall.
hello!
global warming, that is why the weather is like this.
i guess there was a fire at Brea-Olinda High school i dont know the outcome but it was ablaze! as well as the 57 freeway shutdown at imperial blvd. all the way to dimondbar blvd. cause of the fire right off Brea Canyon!