Santiago Canyon Fire in Orange by Irvine Lake by the 241 toll road
So we’re sitting here in our TIC apartment watching the baseball & football games and I looked to my right and saw this huge plume of smoke darken the sky… shortly after on ABC news, they mentioned that they’ve received multiple reports about a huge brush fire in this area.
For those of you close by, be careful out there!

I thought there might be a fire close by, the sky looked like the apocalypse was here, we’re in Irvine btw…hope everyone is safe and well!!

Ah, just came back going S on I5.  Now I know what that cloud was.

Here is a link to the OCRegister article about it. 
Fire reported in O.C.
Blaze said to be in Santiago Canyon area of Orange. 241 toll road closed.
http://www.ocregister.com/news/toll-road-county-1901269-orange-canyon

It’s really bad.  Portola is closed at Orchard Hills (Culver).  Irvine Blvd from Yale to Woodbury (and probably beyond) is covered in smoke.  If you don’t have to drive in the area, don’t.  Likewise, if you don’t have to go outside, don’t.  It’s not a good day to live in Woodbury, Northwood, or Northpark.  I think (but am not sure) the wind is blowing the smoke away from Portola Springs.

It’s being reported here on the Florida space coast.  Some expensive homes
have burned down.  Hope they were foreclosures.  Then the banks can fight
with the insurances companies, who, being insurance companies, will want to
figure out some reason not to pay.

They deserve each other.

Hope you guys are ok.

What are the chances Woodbury will be evacuated - anyone have any idea? I just moved here back in April… I’m having a hard time sitting by and waiting to see what happens.

In looking at the OC Register map of where the initial reports of fire were, it looks like the fire is on the back side of Portola Springs.  If the account Liz is receiving is correct, those might be Serra homes, which are located on the ridgeline just below the 241 and above the main part of the community.

People from Woodbury are evacuating now.

Some of the usual cars are missing but I still see a lot of neighbors… Don’t they have sirens or something if you are being evacuated? I’ve packed some stuff but I’m still being optimistic I guess.

I called the Orange County Operational Area Public Information Hotline - (714) 628-7085 (it’s a live person on the line and not a recording - which I didn’t know - so don’t call unless you need to).  He said that there were no mandatory evacs in Irvine at this time, but that one could always voluntarily evacuate if you felt the need to.

As always, you can check with the OC Fire Authority.

Channel 9 has been covering it pretty well. What’s weird is I haven’t heard the firetrucks go up there like they did when the last fire by the 241 happened. These are the worst winds I have seen.

i can see it from my balcony.    it appears most of the fire is north of 241, burning down to portola parkway… there are some flames at the very top of the peak way above portola springs..

An e-mail I received from the OCFA:

At 5:55 PM a fire originated at Silverado Canyon and Santiago Canyon in eastern Orange County.  The fire burned through Hicks Canyon and is now at Jeffery and Portola.  There are no evacuations at this time and residents in the Northwood area of Irvine are asked to stay at home with windows and doors closed.  At present, the acres burned is unknown.
 
More information will be posted at the OCFA website at www.ocfa.org.

You guys rock! Most of the TV news is all about what’s going on in LA. I told my fiance I bet the IHB knows what’s going on and logged on. I’m a long time lurker and a new poster today. Thanks for the information everyone!

We’re at Irvine Blvd. and Culver Dr.  It’s right behind Portola according to KCAL.

New - Your best bets will be the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) website and the OC Register.  Just keep hitting "refresh." 

Sorry it was an unfortunate event that brought you out of lurkitude, but we’re glad to have you here.

Here is the specific OCFA page for the fire (if it hasn’t been posted yet.  If so, apologies):

http://www.ocfa.org/pages/ocfa.asp?filename=canyonfire.asp

i’m in woodbury…

i have all my windows closed, yet i still smell the thick smoke. I closed my vents too..but it’s seeping in. Is Woodbury on the verge of being evacuated too?

Am I the only one wondering about the landfill up on Portola?

Burning waste?

smells really bad outside..with windows closed, I can smell a bit via vents, etc.  KCAL9 just said there is no evacuation….they think they can hold the fire away from portola…

As of 9:10 PM:

Residents of Orchard Hills and Portola Springs areas of Irvine may voluntarily exacuate to the Lakeview Senior Center at Lake and Barranca.  Other residents are asked to stay at home with windows and doors closed.

I just closed my vents but it’s bad inside and I went outside about 8PM and it was intolerable.  Thickest smoke I’ve ever experienced bar none.

where did you hear the voluntarily evac Jwbrown77?  thanks..

irvine123, keep an eye on this page (refresh it every few minutes):

http://www.ocfa.org/pages/ocfa.asp?filename=canyonfire.asp

According to KCAL 9’s inverview with the Irvine police, you can tune in to radio station 1640 am for the latest info, and/or call the emergency hotline at 714-628-7085. The OCFA’s site was last updated at 5:55 pm and much has burned since then. Also I heard that if evacuations were to be ordered, they have a phone system set up to telephone residents (although I don’t know how this would work in practice considering cell phones, etc).

We are in Tustin Ranch, off Jamboree near Portola. I hear sirens as I am typing this. I have gotten a few things together in case we are evacuated. It’s gotten me rattled but I’m trying to mellow out. Hope I don’t have to meet any of you guys at any shelters!

BTW, this is my first post after lurking for a while.