Airport Fire in Orange and Riverside counties destroys homes, burns more than 23,000 acres

LAKE ELSINORE, Calif. (KABC) -- The destructive Airport Fire in Orange and Riverside counties has spread to more than 20,000 acres, destroyed homes and injured 10 firefighters and two civilians, officials said Wednesday.

Cal Fire reported the blaze was estimated at 23,140 acres and containment was at 5%. Orange County Fire Authority Division Chief Kevin Fetterman said at an afternoon news conference Wednesday that a change in weather overnight helped slow the fire's growth.

Fetterman added that the 10 firefighters had minor injuries, while one civilian suffered a medical emergency and the second civilian hurt in the blaze had unspecified burns.

The Airport Fire began about 1 p.m. Monday near Trabuco Canyon Road in the area of the remote-controlled airplane airport, OCFA Capt. Sean Doran said.

Homes, vehicles in El Cariso Village destroyed by Airport Fire

The Airport Fire destroyed homes and vehicles in El Cariso Village.

In El Cariso Village, near Lake Elsinore, an Eyewitness News reporter saw homes and vehicles destroyed by the fire.

"Some structures off the Ortega Highway have been damaged and destroyed," Fetterman said Wednesday. "The extent of which remains unknown at this time as it is unsafe for our assessment teams to enter that area."

The blaze also bore down on Santiago Peak, which is home to a series of radio and television broadcast towers, used not only by local media outlets but also federal and local government agencies.

OCFA Capt. Steve Concialdi said crews were working to protect the peak but had to withdraw from the area because the flames got "too intense." The fire appeared to lap right up to the base of some of the towers, but the equipment appeared to escape any serious damage.

By early Tuesday evening, the flames marched downslope toward Lake Elsinore, with video from the area showing some structures and vehicles consumed by flames.

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Ortega Highway was closed between Grand Avenue and Nichols Institute. That area had been under a voluntary evacuation warning, but late Tuesday morning, mandatory evacuation orders were issued for areas along the highway near Caspers Park.

A mandatory evacuation order was previously issued for the Robinson Ranch community in Rancho Santa Margarita. Voluntary evacuation warnings were in place for residents on Rose Canyon Road, Trabuco Creek Road, Trabuco Canyon Road, Trabuco Oaks Drive, Joplin Loop and Cook's Corner. Evacuation warnings were issued Tuesday for Silverado and Modjeska canyons.

A "care and reception shelter" for evacuees was established at the Rancho Santa Margarita Bell Tour Regional Community Center, 22232 El Paseo. Large animals can be sheltered at the Orange County Fair Grounds, 88 Fair Drive in Costa Mesa.

Some pets were being sheltered at OC Animal Care at 1630 Victory Road in Tustin, officials said. Mission Viejo Animal Services was also helping residents with shelter for pets.

RELATED: Trabuco Canyon fire was sparked by public works crews performing fire-safety work

A fire that rapidly scorched more than 5,400 acres in Orange County's Trabuco Canyon was started accidentally by public works crews who were trying to prevent access to dangerously dry brush, officials say.

Additional evacuation warnings were also in effect for a host of Riverside County areas near the fire zone, generally in an area east of the Orange County line, north of the San Diego County line, south of Bedford Motor Way and west of Interstate 15.

Early Tuesday afternoon, some of those warnings became evacuation orders, impacting an area generally north of the San Diego County line, east of the Orange County line, south of Lake Elsinore near the base of Ortega Highway and west of South Main Divide Road/Grand Avenue.

An evacuation center was established at Santiago High School, 1395 E. Foothill Parkway, Corona. Large animals can be taken to the Jurupa Valley Animal Shelter, 6851 Van Buren Blvd., according to the Riverside County Fire Department.

Fire crews on Wednesday deployed additional resources into the El Cariso area in Riverside County southwest of Lake Elsinore in hopes of shoring up structure protection and hoping to make a stand against the fire's advance.

Orange County Fire Authority Deputy Chief TJ McGovern told reporters Monday night that the fire was accidentally sparked by a county work crew. McGovern said Orange County Public Works crews were working in the area near Trabuco Creek Road, using heavy equipment to place boulders meant to replace barriers used to restrict access to the vegetation.

City News Service contributed to this report.