Remember the Canyon Fire, the wildfire that burned in the southwestern hills of Corona a couple of weeks ago?
Well, now there's Canyon Fire 2 – a wildfire that started sometime around 10:30 a-m this morning (Monday) on the Orange County side of Riverside/Orange County line , and because of the gusty winds we have today, the blaze is spreading rather rapidly west toward and through neighborhoods east of Anaheim Hills, and has already prompted mandatory evacuations of the heavily-populated neighborhoods south of the 91 freeway and west of the 241 toll freeway in Orange County.
The blaze reportedly started along the south side of the 91 freeway just east of the 241 toll freeway, somewhere near gypsum canyon road. It didn’t take long for the wildfire to jump to the west side of the 241 toll freeway, and already there are mandatory evacuations in those populated east Anaheim Hills neighborhoods.
Anaheim police say mandatory evacuation orders are in effect for residents south of the 91 Freeway, west of the 241 toll road, north of Nohl Ranch Road and east of Serrano Avenue.
Which means, essentially, mandatory evacuations are in effect for most homes south of the 91 and west of the 241. Unified fire command ordered firefighters to go door to door urging evacuations… asking people not to elect to stay behind, to leave before firefighting personnel vehicles and equipment start rolling into the area, making it more difficult to evacuate. Already, TV news shots have shown a number of homes and other structures burning, as the fast moving blaze continues to be windblown.
There is a shelter open for evacuees. Authorities are asking evacuees can go to the East Anaheim Community Center at 8201 E. Santa Ana Canyon Road, and at the Downtown Anaheim Community Center, 250 E. Center St as well. We’ve heard word already that some schools have been evacuated to other school facilities farther west.
Repeat: fire authorities have issued mandatory evacuations for homes and other structures in the east Anaheim Hills area, south of the 91 and west of the 241.
The blaze is burning very close to the 91 fwy, and authorities have closed the eastbound 91 from Yorba Linda Blvd. to the 241.
Winds are blowing at least 25 mph in the area, with gusts that could approach 50 mph. Fire officials say, and the blaze has a moderate to rapid rate of spread.
Already hundreds of firefighters are assembling on the scene, as well as ground equipment and air support, in the battle against Canyon Fire 2 in the Anaheim Hills just west of the Riverside County Orange County line.
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