Silverado fire explodes to 11,200 acres, more areas in danger of evacuation

The Silverado fire entered day two on Tuesday, Oct. 27, by exploding to 11,199 acres, putting more communities in danger of being evacuated, fire authorities said.

By Tuesday morning, the Orange County Fire Authority said the Silverado fire, burning east of Irvine, had been 5% contained.

Soon after it started, the Silverado prompted residents of Orchard Hills to be ordered to leave their homes. By the end of the day more than 90,000 residents in Irvine and more in Lake Forest were under evacuation orders.

On Tuesday morning, authorities said, Silverado, Modjeska, Trabuco canyons along Live Oak Canyon Road were under evacuation warnings, while Jackson Ranch and Williams Canyon in Silverado have been ordered to evacuate. Part of Mission Viejo was also warned that residents there may need to evacuate.

Blue Ridge fire scorches 8,000 acres, with 0% containment

The winds that helped fuel the blaze on Monday were going to once again blow through the region, according to the National Weather Service, although they were expected to weaken in the afternoon.

Fire authorities said no structures had been destroyed yet, though two firefighters were critically injured.

Southern California Edison was investigating whether one of its power lines was involved in igniting the Silverado fire.

The power supplier had not found that there were any downed lines in the area at the time the fire started, officials said in a notice filed Monday to the California Public Utilities Commission. But, according to that notice and spokesman Chris Abel, a lashing wire connected to telecommunication lines, not to Edison equipment, may have come in contact with Edison’s overhead primary conductor, and that may have caused the fire.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Source: Orange County Register