The Real Reason Behind the Coastal Fire That Destroyed Homes
The Real Reason Behind the Coastal Fire That Destroyed Homes
Press Release
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updated: May 13, 2022 15:40 EDT
LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif., May 13, 2022 (Newswire.com)
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Why did the recent coastal fire burn $5M-$10 million homes that were supposed to be built with the highest fire standards? Kelly Berkompas has a simple answer that many homeowners may not be aware of: “They all had vulnerable openings that provided a straight path for embers into the home…the…
The utility issued a report to state regulations saying that 'our information reflects circuit activity occurring close in time to the reported time of the fire' in Laguna Niguel.
Excerpt from this story from the LA Times:
Authorities on Thursday were trying to determine the cause of a brush fire that burned at least 20 homes in Laguna Niguel, fueled by winds and dry conditions caused by California’s intense drought.
The probe is still in its early stages, but Southern California Edison issued an initial report to state regulators saying that “our information reflects circuit activity occurring close in time to the reported time of the fire.”
The Coastal fire broke out Wednesday afternoon in a coastal canyon near the Pacific Ocean in an upscale section of south Orange County. Hundreds of residents fled as the flames swept into a gated community of multimillion-dollar homes overlooking the ocean.
The fire remains at about 200 acres, and an estimated 900 homes have been evacuated, officials said. Approximately 550 firefighters were battling the blaze as of late Thursday morning, according to OCFA Capt. Greg Barta.
Information about containment was not immediately available. But in a video update posted to Twitter, Barta said “crews worked diligently and very hard throughout the night and made great progress, and we expect that to continue today.”
Unlike many wildfires in the region, the Coastal fire was fanned not by Santa Ana winds from the desert but by strong gusts coming from the Pacific Ocean.
Gusts reached 30 mph in parts of Orange County on Wednesday, said National Weather Service meteorologist Brandt Maxwell. The winds drove the flames across drought-parched hillsides.
