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Southern California fire destroys more than 20 homes, forces evacuations

Many of the homes affected by the fire in this affluent city were multimillion-dollar mansions

By Katarina Hall

May 12, 2022 2:36pm

Updated: May 12, 2022 6:24pm

A wildfire in Southern California affected 200 acres around the city of Laguna Niguel, one of California’s wealthiest neighborhoods, damaging at least 20 homes and forcing thousands to evacuate, local authorities reported. 

First responders reported a fire at around 3:00 p.m. local time that had expanded due to strong winds and dry vegetation in the area. The city’s electric company, Southern California Edison, claimed that unspecified electrical “circuit activity” occurred around the same time that the wildfire erupted. The investigation is still continuing. 

Around 900 residents of Coronado Pointe Drive, Vista Court, Via Las Rosas, as well as other areas north of Pacific Island Drive and Flying Cloud Drive, were placed under evacuation orders, according to a news release by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

No injuries or deaths have been reported, according to Orange County Fire Chief Brian Fennessy.

According to the Fire Chief, firefighters were “getting a better handle” on the raging fire. “It’s sad to say we’re kind of getting used to this,” he said.

Laguna Niguel is a coastal city about 50 miles from Los Angeles. Many of the homes affected by the fire in this affluent city were multimillion-dollar mansions. 

The state of California has been going through a severe drought for the past three years. Most of the state’s major water sources have been depleted, including Lake Mead and the Colorado River. 

Nine of the state’s 20 largest wildfires occurred between 2020 and 2021. The “moisture is so low that those fires are taking off and running,” said Fennessy.

"We don't have a fire season. It's year-round now, and these last four fires that we've had just proved it to all of us," he added.

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