Firefighters Protect Homes In Foothill Ranch
Arson Fire Threatens Homes In Orange County

POSTED: 7:02 am PDT October 22, 2007
UPDATED: 10:36 am PDT October 23, 2007


IRVINE, Calif. -- A 15,000-acre wildfire in Orange County that investigators determined was deliberately set continued to flare Monday in the Foothill Ranch area, fueled by fierce Santa Ana winds, but had not claimed any homes.

"I'm packed and ready to go," a homeowner told KNBC, just minutes before flames approached his home. "Everybody's very alarmed. We don't want to see our homes burn down."

Crews brought equipment onto the resident's backyard patio and sprayed water on the flames. They also doused the house with a foam fire retardant.

"They said this house wasn't going to burn... it didn't," the homeowner said.

The blaze was part of an arson fire.

"I'm sad to report this is an arson fire," said Orange County Fire Authority Chief Chip Prather. "There were three separate starts: two on one side of the road and one on the other, and obviously we are actively investigating that."
As of 9 p.m., no areas of Orange County were under mandatory evacuation due to the so-called Santiago fire, which was 30 percent contained, according to county fire Battalion Chief Kris Concepcion.

Earlier, residents in about 140 hours on four streets in Foothill Ranch were ordered to leave their homes. But that was a tactic simply to clear the streets of excess vehicles hampering firefighters from maneuvering to get a handle on hot spots as they cropped up, sheriff's Lt. Don Barnes said.

More than 800 inmates evacuated Monday morning from the James A. Musick minimum-security jail remained at other lock-ups in Santa Ana and Orange Monday night because of health dangers from smoke and ash, a sheriff's spokesman said.

The fire started just before 6 p.m. on Sunday in the area of Santiago Canyon and Silverado Canyon roads east of the city of Orange. As of Monday night, there were no reports of any homes being damaged or destroyed, only an outbuilding or two at a commercial plant nursery, an impressive feat in light of the strong, erratic winds coupled with low humidity and high temperatures.

Two fire crews totaling about eight personnel narrowly escaped injury earlier Monday when they were overrun by flames while making a stand near Silverado Elementary School.

They survived the close call by deploying sheltering equipment that is basically a blanket, treated with a fire-resistant substance, that each firefighter carries and throws over the body while lying down, fire officials said.

According to the OCFA's Web site, four firefighters have suffered minor injuries fighting the fire.

Firefighters struggled throughout the day to turn back flames as they approached communities sitting on the edges of wildlands where fuel kept the fire advancing.

The earlier mandatory evacuation order for residents living on the Foothill Ranch streets of La Solita, La Perla, Pandale and Calle Cabrillo was accompanied by voluntary evacuation notices to other residents of Foothill Ranch, as well as Portola Hills -- affecting a total of nearly 20,000 people, Lake Forest spokeswoman Debra Rose said.

Early Monday evening, firefighters made a stand at Portola Parkway, trying to prevent flames from jumping across the road and entering the Foothill Ranch Town Center, a large shopping center.

Arson investigators believe the fire was intentionally set.

"I'm sad to report this is an arson fire," OCFA Chief Chip Prather announced at a Monday morning briefing. "There were three separate starts: two on one side of the road and one on the other, and obviously we are actively investigating that."

Prather appealed to anyone with information about this case or any suspected arson activity to call the arson tip line at 800-540-8282.

Prather said there "are so many fires in Southern California that everybody's pretty much on their own."

"We presently have 15 stations that are empty," he said Monday. "I called some of my colleagues and they've sent some help to us, so we're slowing filling those stations back up. We've never been in that position as long as I've been chief, and that's 11 years."

Prather called the extension of Red Flag Warnings in Orange and San Diego counties through Wednesday due to the Santa Ana wind conditions "very bad news."

The winds kept water-dropping helicopters grounded for the first part of Monday, but they began attacking the flames in the afternoon, giving firefighters some much-needed help.

Miller said that unless firefighters get a break from Mother Nature, "it's going to be very difficult for us."

"We put in a request for a lot of outside resources that just plain are not available," he said. "As you're seeing what's going on in Southern California, everybody's stretched pretty thin."

People who chose to leave their homes were directed to El Toro High School, 25255 Toledo Way, where representatives of the American Red Cross were on hand to provide assistance to the 106 adults and 39 children that were at the shelter as of 9:45 p.m., according to Shelly Parsons, the communications director for the American Red Cross' Orange County Chapter.

The Red Cross cannot accept pets, except for service animals, and Orange County Animal Services recommended that pets needing to be evacuated should be placed with friends or family members.

The animal shelter in Orange can accept a limited number of animals, and there are private shelters in the area, Concepcion said.

Residents who were not immediately impacted by the blaze were advised to stay at home with windows and doors closed because of smoke. They were also advised to prepare to evacuate, if needed.

Santa Ana winds of 35 to 45 mph were reported at the time the fire erupted, and the conditions are expected to last through Tuesday.

Orange County supervisors proclaimed a local state of emergency late Monday due to the Santiago fire.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Sunday proclaimed a state of emergency for seven Southern California counties, including Orange.

John Wayne Airport

John Wayne Airport in Orange County remained open and operational, spokeswoman Jenny Wedge said Monday night.

As of 4 p.m., wind conditions reported by the airport tower were 21.5 mph, with gusts as high as 26 mph. As a result, flights continue to depart to the north and arrive from the south.

Passengers are encouraged to contact their airline for up-to-the-minute flight status.

For updates on the operational status at JWA, passengers can log on to ocair.com.

Monday: State Of Emergency Declared In 7 SoCal Counties

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