OC wildfires prompt tens of thousands to evacuate

Up to 100,000 residents of Orange County are under evacuation orders, after a pair of wildfires erupted there Monday. Two firefighters were gravely injured and several thousand homes were at risk of damage.

The larger of the two fires, the Silverado fire, began around Santiago Canyon and Silverado Canyon roads, and has burned more than 7,200 acres, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Santa Ana winds pushed it west toward the edge of Irvine and Lake Forest. Around 70,000 people were under evacuation orders because of the blaze as of Tuesday morning.

Southern California Edison is investigating whether its equipment caused the blaze. In a report to the state Public Utilities Commission, the company said a “lashing wire” may have struck a primary conductor.

The Blue Ridge fire began later on Monday to the north in the Santa Ana Canyon and quickly spread toward Yorba Linda. Around 10,000 acres acres have burned and 10,000 residents were evacuated. While just 10 homes were damaged, another 2,500 properties were at risk, according to the report.

Gusts up 80 miles per hour prompted the National Weather Service to warn of high wind conditions for the San Gabriel and San Fernando valleys. The winds are also lifting ash and soot left from the Bobcat Fire. [LAT] — Dennis Lynch