The blaze burned 154 acres, coming very close to homes
Still image from the video below of the Emerald Fire, from the FIRIS mapping aircraft at 1:46 p.m. PT Feb. 11, 2022.
The Emerald Fire near Laguna Beach, California was mapped by the Fire Integrated Real-Time Intelligence System (FIRIS) aircraft. The video below was recorded at 1:45 p.m. February 11, day two of the fire. The image switches back and forth from thermal infrared to regular video, with heat showing up as bright white. This data can help firefighters know where to concentrate their containment and mop up efforts.
After the fire was reported Feb. 10, 2022 at about 4 a.m. in the Laguna Coast Wilderness Area, strong winds pushed the blaze near homes in the Emerald Bay area of the coastal city. It ultimately burned 154 acres, coming very close to homes, as you can see in the video.
In the aircraft were Peter Cain (Pilot), Matt Hedman of AEVEX on the controller, and Air Tactical Group Supervisor Steve Price providing narration.
Map Emerald Fire, Feb. 10, 2022.Map showing the location of the Emerald Fire near Laguna Beach in Southern California, Feb. 10, 2022.
Hundreds of residents were evacuated before dawn Thursday
Updated at 10:08 p.m. PT Feb. 10, 2022
Map Emerald Fire, Feb. 10, 2022.
Thursday morning firefighters stopped the spread of the 145-acre Emerald Fire northwest of Laguna Beach in Southern California. At the peak of activity there were 220 personnel assigned, plus numerous helicopters and fixed wing aircraft.
All of the evacuation orders were lifted at 3 p.m. and no structures were destroyed. Areas in the interior of the fire are still burning, fire officials said Thursday afternoon, and the predicted hot, dry weather means they will have to continue to monitor, mop up, and improve containment.
The last time the area burned was during the Laguna Fire of 1993 which covered 14,337 acres, enveloping almost the entirety of Crystal Cove State Park and Laguna Coast Wilderness Area.
A spokesperson for the fire said good clearance of vegetation around the homes made it much easier for firefighters to prevent any structures from burning.
Fire personnel will be on scene Thursday night and fresh troops will arrive Friday morning.
1:04 p.m. PT Feb. 10, 2022
Map showing the location of the Emerald Fire near Laguna Beach in Southern California, Feb. 10, 2022.
Evacuation orders for the Emerald Fire prompted hundreds of residents in Laguna Beach in Orange County, California to leave their homes before dawn Thursday. Reported at about 4 a.m. in the Laguna Coast Wilderness Area, strong winds pushed the blaze near homes in the Emerald Bay in the coastal city.
As the fire was spreading, a weather station at Moro Canyon recorded 15 to 22 mph winds gusting out of the north-northeast up to 43 mph while the relative humidity was 31 percent. Those conditions are conducive to rapid fire spread and would have pushed the fire to the south-southwest. When the winds subsided later in the morning firefighters were able to stop the spread. Preliminary estimates put the size at about 140 acres, but that could change with more accurate mapping.
“We no longer have a fire season. We have a fire year,” said Orange County Fire Authority Chief Brian Fennessy in a news conference Thursday morning. “It’s February 10. This is supposed to be the middle of winter and we’re anticipating 80 to 90 degree weather. Even though the hillsides are green it doesn’t take but low humidity and wind to cause fires to occur. If this is any sign of what’s to come throughout the rest of the winter and spring we’re in for a long year.”
Two weather advisories are in effect for much of Southern California on Thursday, including the Emerald Fire area; one is for wind and another for heat. The forecast for the Laguna Beach area for Thursday morning called for northeast winds of 15 to 25 mph with gusts to 45. The heat advisory predicted high afternoon temperatures of 91 degrees.
Above: Hazardous tree on the Emerald Fire. CAL FIRE Amador-El Dorado photo.
CAL FIRE described this as one of the “many enormous hazard trees on the Emerald Fire. This tree has nearly an eight-foot diameter.”
Hazardous tree on the Emerald Fire. CAL FIRE Amador-El Dorado photo.
The Emerald Fire burned 176 acres on the south end of Lake Tahoe near Emerald Bay in California when it started on October 14. After being pushed initially by very strong winds gusting up to 55 mph the spread has been stopped by firefighters — and heavy precipitation. The removal of hazardous trees from Highway 89 and around residences is ongoing. Debris continues to impact the roadway due to the high winds and torrential rains.
Map showing heat detected by a satellite over the Emerald Fire at 2:16 a.m. PDT October 14, 2016. The fire is much smaller than indicated by the heat signatures, some of which were plotted in Cascade Lake and up to half a mile out into Lake Tahoe by the 375-meter fire detection system on the MODIS satellite.
The Emerald Fire was reported at 1:28 a.m. PDT October 14 on the south end of Lake Tahoe in California near Emerald Bay. Pushed by 20 to 25 mph winds gusting up to 55 mph it quickly spread through the night and by daylight was estimated at 200 acres by CAL FIRE. Mandatory evacuations were ordered affecting 500 residences and another 500 were listed as voluntary.
However by 6 a.m. on Friday light rain began as a wet air mass moved into the area. As of 11 a.m. a quarter inch of precipitation had been measured at the South Lake Tahoe weather station.
The green areas represent rain in northern California at 11:04 a.m. PDT October 14, 2016.
