June 3 (UPI) — Firefighters in California were working to contain a brush fire that prompted thousands of evacuations, officials said Sunday.
About 400 firefighters were working overnight Saturday to combat the Aliso Fire, which burned through about 200 acres in south Orange County, the Orange County Fire Authority said.
“Firefighting crews continue to make good progress through the night. The fire is estimated at 200 acres and 0 percent containment,” the department said.
Mandatory evacuation orders for about 2,000 homes in the city of Aliso Viejo were lifted as of 9 p.m., but evacuations for Laguna Beach remained in place.
The fire broke out at about 1 p.m. along a trail in the Aliso Woods Canyon on Saturday. It began as a 25-acre brush fire that eventually spanned 250 acres before being downgraded to 200 acres.
Eight fire strike teams, six air tankers and four helicopters were used to combat the blaze, as firefighters faced difficulty with multiple wind shifts that resulted in spot fires.
One firefighter sustained a leg injury while responding to the fire, but no other injuries were reported.
Wild fires in New Mexico and Colorado also burned thousands of acresSaturday. The 416 Fire in Colorado’s La Plata County burned 1,100 acres and prompted 800 homes to be evacuated and the Ute Park fire in New Mexico burned more than 27,000 acres and put 296 structures at risk of burning.
