Firefighters were battling a wildfire in the hills along the 91 Freeway on the far eastern edge of Anaheim on Monday, and there’s concern that winds could push the blaze east into Corona, where evacuations have been ordered for about 1,000 homes.
The blaze was 5 percent contained between 1,700 and 2,000 acres about 9:20p.m. No injuries have been reported, but about one structure was damaged and a big rig was destroyed, according to Anaheim Fire and Rescue.
Anaheim Fire & Rescue responded to the blaze shortly before 1:30 p.m. in the Coal Canyon area, and the Orange County Fire Authority was assisting. By 2 p.m., 25 to 30 acres had burned in what was being called the Canyon Fire.
The blaze crossed into Chino Hills State Park, the Anaheim department tweeted, apparently in reference to the small portion of the park that is south of the freeway. Traffic on the 91 Freeway was backed up.
By 5 p.m., the fire was estimated at 250 acres with 0 percent containment, Anaheim police and fire spokesman Sgt. Daron Wyatt said. The department tweeted within two hours that the fire was at 1,500 acres.
The Corona Fire Department said evacuations were being requested for about a dozen streets. An estimated 300 homes in Dominguez Ranch with between 1,000 and 1,200 residents were affected, Anaheim Fire & Rescue said.
Later, the officials said the Dominguez Ranch neighborhood was being evacuated, along with homes south of Green River Road from the 91 to Trudy Lane at the Orchard Glen development.
A shelter was being set up at Corona High School, the Anaheim department said.
At one point, a wind shift caused the fire to burn back down toward the 91 Freeway, prompting the evacuation of the command post, which moved to a nearby golf course, Wyatt said. Crews on the ground were able to stop the flames and create a fire break at a dirt road.
Aerial video from Sky5 showed firetrucks protecting homes in neighborhoods affected by the blaze.
The concern going into the evening is that winds will push the flames over the Riverside County line and toward structures in Corona, where plans for structure protection were being developed, the sergeant said.
Winds could gust as high as 25 mph in the area of the fire on Monday night, according to the National Weather Service forecast.
Traffic was slow going on the 91 Freeway and Wyatt advised the public to stay away.
The blaze is burning in the foothills of the Santa Ana Mountains east of State Route 241, the toll road. Aircraft could be seen dropping fire retardant in an attempt to stop flames from burning uphill toward the Cleveland National Forest. The Los Angeles County Fire air operations unit tweeted that a firehawk helicopter was dispatched to do air drops once the sun went down.
Adams Elementary School, Cesar Chavez Academy, Coronita Elementary School and Prado View Elementary School will be closed Tuesday because of the fire, according to the Corona Fire Department.
The cause of the blaze is under investigation.
KTLA’s Cindy Von Quednow contributed to this story.