Silverado Fire map: Areas under evacuation orders, warnings as blaze scorches Irvine area

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Wednesday, October 28, 2020
Silverado Fire: 7,200 acres burned, thousands evacuated near Irvine
The massive vegetation fire that broke out near Irvine Monday morning and critically injured two firefighters continued to rage Tuesday, prompting mandatory evacuations for thousands of residents as the region was slammed by strong winds.

IRVINE, Calif. (KABC) -- Amid red-flag conditions brought on by gusting winds and dangerously low humidity, the Silverado Fire raced across terrain in the Santiago Canyon area near Irvine, forcing mandatory evacuations, threatening structures and blocking key roadways through the region.



EVACUATIONS



By Tuesday afternoon, all of the evacuation orders issued for neighborhoods in the city of Irvine had been lifted.



Most of the evacuations in Lake Forest had also been lifted.



Evacuations remained in place in the central and eastern areas of the fire around Whiting Ranch Wilderness Park. A voluntary evacuation warning was in place for the areas around Live Oak Canyon Road to the east of Portola Hills.



The specific neighborhoods in Lake Forest where evacuations had been lifted were:



LF1: bordered on the north by the city limit of Lake Forest, to the east by the CA 241 Toll. road, to the south by Alton Pkwy and Bake Pkwy, to the west by Empire.


LF2: All communities with access from Alton Parkway and East of CA-241 to Whiting Ranch.


LF5: All communities along Glenn Ranch Road south of Fawn Ridge Road and South of Pendelton Road.


LF6: All Communities south of Bake Parkway and Portola Parkway.


LF7: All businesses along Portola Parkway.


LF8: All businesses along Portola Parkway.


LF9: is bordered on the north by Alton Pkwy, to the east by CA 241 Toll Road, to the south Bake Pkwy and to the west by Commercentre Dr.



In other parts of Orange County, evacuation orders and warnings were lifted in:



Zone MV1: Communities south of El Toro Road & Valley Vista


ZoneT3: Communities south of El Toro Road & Valley Vista (TRU 3 and MV 1)



Also, county officials said all COVID-19 testing Super Sites will be closed Tuesday due to the fires. The Orange County Health Care Agency urged residents to check here for updates: www.occovid19.ochealthinfo.com/supersite



SILVERADO FIRE EVACUATION MAP


Please note the map may take some time to load.





SCHOOLS



Campus operations at UC Irvine were suspended due to the blaze through Wednesday, school officials announced. All non-essential staff members were urged to go home or not come to campus Monday. Only essential workers supporting critical campus operations were cleared to work inside with doors and windows closed, the school announced on Twitter.



Also, Irvine Unified School District officials said schools will be closed on Tuesday. Parents were urged to check their emails for updated information sent by the district



All Santiago Canyon College sites are closed Tuesday. School officials said sites will reopen as soon as it's safe to do so.



Tustin Unified School District closed all schools, including distance learning, on Tuesday due to the Silverado Fire. School officials said all school-related activities and child care facilities at TUSD school sites are canceled as well. Parents were urged to visit the district's website for closure updates.



The following schools were on full distance learning Tuesday due to the fire conditions:


Del Lago Elementary


El Toro High School


Foothill Ranch Elementary


Glen Yermo Elementary


La Madera Elementary


Lake Forest Elementary


Melinda Heights Elementary


Portola Hills Elementary


Rancho Canada Elementary



Santiago Elementary


Serrano Intermediate


Trabuco Elementary


Trabuco Hills High School



Two major brush fires are burning right now in Orange County, fueled by the dangerous Santa Ana winds.


EVACUATION/CARE CENTERS



Irvine police said the University Community Center at 1 Beech Tree Lane and the Quail Hill Community Center at 35 Shady Canyon Drive were both available as evacuation centers.


In addition, the city of Irvine said the following care/reception facilities were open to help those impacted by the fire: Woodbridge High School, Village Church of Irvine, Mariners Church and Newport Coast Community Center.




The city of Lake Forest tweeted Tuesday morning that Saddleback Church on Portola has volunteers on site with food in the church parking lot for drive-through pickup.



O.C. Animal Care is open to house dogs, cats and small pets for Orange County residents relocated as a result of the Silverado Fire evacuations. The shelter is located at 1630 Victory Rd. Tustin, CA 92782. You can call (714) 935-6848 for more information. This shelter is currently accepting dogs, cats, and small pets. If possible, please bring photo identification, veterinary/vaccination records, special food, and medications along with your animals.



Irvine residents are also encouraged to visit www.cityofirvine.org for a map and list of shelters accepting both people and their pets.



The blaze erupted just after 6:45 a.m. in the area of Santiago Canyon and Silverado Canyon roads. Orange County Fire Authority officials said the flames had jumped the 241 Freeway shortly after 9 a.m.


Although structures were reported to be threatened and there were some reports of buildings already burned, fire authorities had not yet confirmed any structural damage. There were no reports of any injuries.



The fire was sending a major plume of smoke over the entire region, creating unhealthy air across a wide area. The Orange County Health Care Agency urged residents in affected areas to stay indoors, limit outdoor activity, keep windows and doors closed and run air conditions to filter the air.



City News Service contributed to this report.

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