The Associated Press
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Firefighters faced another day of scorching heat and dry weather Monday as they tried to corral a wind-whipped blaze that had already damaged two homes amid what is shaping up to be one of the driest years yet in Southern California.
The wildfire, believed to have started with a burning car Sunday morning, had already charred 2,036 acres and forced hundreds of people from their homes.
Early Monday, firefighters had the 3-square mile blaze 30 percent contained, but Orange County Battalion Chief Ed Fleming said it would likely take another night of cooler temperature and increased humidity to get it fully contained.
“The bad news is the red flag warning remains in effect,” Fleming said early Monday. “We expect the temperatures to increase, the winds to increase and the relative humidity to decrease.”
The red flag alert, indicating a high fire danger, was in effect in much of Southern California. A prolonged drought has left the chaparral-covered hills highly combustible.
Stoked by hot dry wind, the fire quickly spread south and west in an unincorporated part of Orange County and threatened multimillion-dollar homes here and in Anaheim Hills, about 35 miles southeast of Los Angeles.
Residents of about 500 homes were evacuated for several hours, but most were able to return Sunday night. Two homes and another structure were damaged, and a fourth structure was destroyed, said Capt. Steve Miller of the Orange County Fire Authority.
Authorities said the blaze may have been started by a vehicle fire. They were investigating if the car was stolen and set on fire to destroy evidence.
Temperatures hit record highs for March 11 in many spots, including a mid-afternoon 97-degree reading in nearby Fullerton. The city’s previous record high for the day was 84 degrees in 1959.
The winds gusted up to 49 mph, and humidity hovered around 5 percent.
National Weather Service forecasters predicted no more than slight cooling in the fire area Monday, with temperatures still expected to reach the 80s and 90s.
Richard Steffy said he saw the fire out his window when he awoke Sunday morning. “Boom, billows of smoke,” he said. “It looked so close.”
The dry weather comes two years after the region was awash with a near-record 37 inches of rain.
Only about 2.4 inches of rain has fallen on downtown Los Angeles since July 1. Normal annual rainfall in Los Angeles is 11.43 inches.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s weather models suggest that an emerging La Nina pattern of cold water in the tropical Pacific will keep the area dry.
Susan Snell, who has lived in Anaheim Hills for 23 years, followed a well-worn routine Sunday: She put her cat in a carrier, packed tax and insurance papers and photographs and found a good vantage point.
“It’s freaky what you end up taking with you,” she said, watching television at the Anaheim Hills Community Center for updates.
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On the Net:
Orange County Fire Authority: http://www.ocfa.org