ANAHEIM, Calif.-
Cool morning temperatures helped firefighters trying to corral a wind-swept wildfire that was burning behind hillside houses southeast of Los Angeles and had already damaged two.
Early Monday, firefighters had the 3-square-mile, day-old blaze 30 percent contained, but Orange County Battalion Chief Ed Fleming said it would likely take a second night of cooler temperature and increased humidity to get it fully contained.
A red flag alert, indicating high fire danger, was in effect in much of Southern California, where a prolonged drought has made the chaparral-covered hills highly combustible.
At daybreak Monday, the temperature was still in the upper 50s, compared to Sunday’s highs near 100.
“The weather is cooperating at this point,” Orange Fire Capt. Ian MacDonald said. “We’re hoping that continues throughout the day and we can get this out as soon as possible.”
The National Weather Service forecast temperatures in the 80s and 90s again Monday.
“In Southern California, we’re always 24 hours away from having a wind-driven, low humidity fire,” MacDonald said.
The wildfire was reported Sunday morning, and hot, dry wind quickly spread it through an unincorporated part of Orange County, threatening multimillion-dollar homes here and in Anaheim Hills, about 35 miles southeast of Los Angeles.
Residents of about 500 homes were evacuated but most were able to return Sunday night. Two homes and another structure were damaged, and a fourth structure was destroyed, said Capt. Steve Miller of the Orange County Fire Authority.
Authorities said the blaze may have been started by a vehicle fire. They were investigating if the car was stolen and set on fire to destroy evidence.
Temperatures hit record highs for March 11 in many spots, including 97 in nearby Fullerton. The city’s previous record high for the day was 84 degrees in 1959. The wind gusted to 49 mph and humidity hovered around 5 percent.
Richard Steffy said he saw the fire out his window when he awoke Sunday morning. “Boom, billows of smoke,” he said. “It looked so close.”
The dry weather comes two years after the region was awash with a near-record 37 inches of rain. Only about 2.4 inches of rain has fallen on downtown Los Angeles since July 1. Normal annual rainfall in Los Angeles is 11.43 inches.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s weather models suggest that an emerging La Nina pattern of cold water in the tropical Pacific will keep the area dry.
———
On the Net:
Orange County Fire Authority: /
