Fire in Weir Canyon

[Chopper]

A fire is burning in Weir Canyon and is moving toward Santiago Oaks. In fact, portions of the park have burned already.
0% containment as of 1:00.

It was started by a car fire on the toll road which was deliberately set. It was a stolen car.

The last time Weir Canyon burned was 1982 so there is a lot of fuel!

Some evacuations have been ordered.

[maxwell]

Thanks Robin. Where can we get updates?

I just remembered that you can get updates here; OCFA

[tkblazer]

yea i saw the fire from aliso, sucks... the wind is blowing all the smoke to my hood also

[dubjay]

Some coverage is on Cox Channel 46 right now. Looks like it's where Santiago Oaks is now..or at least very close.

[tkblazer]

from the OC Register

Two structures in Anaheim Hills are ablaze as about 500 firefighters are battling a 300-acre brush fire, and scores of homes in that area and Orange Park Acres are being evacuated.
The fire, in the Nature Conservancy, is spreading west toward Santiago Canyon Oaks near Canyon Rim Road and Serrano Avenue in Anaheim Hills, and toward Sandberg Lane in Orange Park Acres.
Anaheim Fire, OCFA and other departments are battling the blaze with helicopters and fixed wing aircraft, as well as ground crews.
The brush fire started at the 241 Toll Road and Windy Ridge toll plaza at 7:53 a.m., said Lynnette Round of the Orange County Fire Authority. Winds moving up to 35 mph pushed the fire west.
Winds in the canyon tend to be funneled and pick up speed, said OCFA Battalion Chief Ed Fleming. "It'll really move a fire out,'' he said.
OCFA spokesman Capt. Steve Miller had no immediate details on the burning structures, which he said were on Avenida de Santiago.
Some residents in Orange Park Acres were packing belongings into their cars, but not panicking. Others said they would stay put and defend their home.
Some residents were moving horses to other parts of Orange.
"We've been through this drill so many times. If we didn't have kids, cats and dogs, we'd probably stick it out,'' said Mary Ann Jones, who lived on Grovewood Lane in Orange Park Acres for 33 years.



Windy Ridge fire update: Mandatory evacuation order

[FONT=Tahoma,Arial,Sans-Serif][SIZE=2]Sunday, 3/ 11 1 p.m. [/SIZE][/FONT][FONT=Tahoma,Arial,Sans-Serif][SIZE=2]A wildfire has burned approximately 150 acres of open space near the SR-241 Windy Ridge toll plaza. The fire has moved toward Anaheim Hills. City of Orange, City of Anaheim and Orange County Fire Authority strike teams are coordinating fire fighting efforts. City of Orange is ordering the following mandatory residential and commerical evacuations: [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Tahoma,Arial,Sans-Serif][SIZE=2]MANDATORY EVACUATIONS
All Neighborhoods between Villa Park Dam and Windes Drive, south of Santiago Creek
Streets in the evacuation area include: Lolita, Hunters Way, Sandburg, Windes, Grovewood, Colony, Lewis, Diane, Gymkana, Equitation, Highpoint, Dressage, Kimbark.[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Tahoma,Arial,Sans-Serif][SIZE=2]ROAD CLOSURES
Santiago at Chapman
Santiago at Newport (East bound traffic)
Santiago at Hewes (West bound traffic)
SR-241 southbound at 91 Freeway [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=Tahoma,Arial,Sans-Serif][SIZE=2]The Red Cross is opening a emergency evacuation center at El Modena High School. Livestock / equestrian owners may take their animals to El Modena High School. The field off of Spring Street will be used as a holding area for large animals.

looks like its really getting close to oaks, i hope there isn't any damage to the homes in the area.


[/SIZE][/FONT]

[jcampbell]

Its a mess right now, Weir canyon is burning. Hidden Canyon has lost two homes, that's at the exit on the Weir Loop.

Idiot theives!

[OTHRIDER]

My son & I were on the Fully Loop this morning and saw the smoke right around 8:15 from the vantage point above the fire station. Cell phone photos from the Loop and from the pool deck at Villa Park around 2pm.

[Kid A]

damn, makes sense now. very hazy today. saw some huge dark clouds earlier today just assumed were fog. we were heading to irvine then oaks with my son/wife and everything was blocked off. ended up just going to another town park on prospect so my kid could at least hit playground. just assumed smell was bbq going in park. hope damage can be kept to a minimum and the d!ckheads who started it are punished with significant prejudice

[michaeldorian]

I can see the flames from my house and the trail. Chutes and Oaks looks to be history for now. I just rode it yesterday too.

-M

[Pain Freak]

I was going to a road ride this morning and seen the smoke just starting to come up. I called 911 and theyasked me what was on fire I told them I didn't know as I was off the side of the 91 fwy. I told them where I was the wind wasn't to bad, but this appeared to be either on the 241 or the canyon that runs along side it. She then told me they were getting several calls on it. I left my name and hung up.

We went ahead and did our ride and watched as the smoke chased us all the way to the beach (it won). Coming back we hit a head wind that slowed us from 22 mph down to a very hard pushed 15 mph. The wind was howling at that time. We could see as the smoke would all of a sudden go from a solid white to a very dark brown and then to black. I assumed this was probably a house going up.

I hope they catch the idiots who did this, not that anything different is going to happen to them. They'll got to court, plead it down to a lesser crime go to prison and get their 3 hots and a cot, and be out in a couple of years to do some other stupid shit. Or maybe just get probation if they are kids.

[Gabriel Zink]

****

[FyrFytrRyn]

Originally Posted by Pain Freak

I was going to a road ride this morning and seen the smoke just starting to come up. I called 911 and theyasked me what was on fire I told them I didn't know as I was off the side of the 91 fwy. I told them where I was the wind wasn't to bad, but this appeared to be either on the 241 or the canyon that runs along side it. She then told me they were getting several calls on it. I left my name and hung up.

We went ahead and did our ride and watched as the smoke chased us all the way to the beach (it won). Coming back we hit a head wind that slowed us from 22 mph down to a very hard pushed 15 mph. The wind was howling at that time. We could see as the smoke would all of a sudden go from a solid white to a very dark brown and then to black. I assumed this was probably a house going up.

I hope they catch the idiots who did this, not that anything different is going to happen to them. They'll got to court, plead it down to a lesser crime go to prison and get their 3 hots and a cot, and be out in a couple of years to do some other stupid shit. Or maybe just get probation if they are kids.

the differing color of the smoke plume indicates the current fuel being consumed. the darker the oiler the brush, or dirtier the material. people who intentionally start fires normally dont get caught, and the ones who do get caught almost never get prosecuted. i believe its a 2-3% prosecution rate in california. not only does it destroy land, life, and property its extremely expensive to fight one, several thousand per water drop once the aircraft are involved. hope they get it out soon.

[Gabriel Zink]

Thank you for that information

[dstepper]

There is a photo over on MTBR So-Cal forum that shows The Oaks on fire. I looks like Bitchs, Robbers Peak, Goats and Chutes have already burned.

Dean