LOS ANGELES — A brush fire that broke out in the hills in Laguna Beach amid high temperatures and winds forced residents to flee their homes early Thursday.
The fire was initially estimated at about seven acres but officials said they expect that number to jump.
The blaze comes during a heat wave in the region. Temperatures for the beach community were expected to rise into the high 80s on Thursday. The National Weather Service also issued a wind advisory, warning of northeast winds between 15 and 20mph with gusts up to 30 mph.
The city of Laguna Beach issued an evacuation order for Irvine Cove and Emerald Bay and an evacuation warning for North Laguna, including all residents North of Broadway. It is not clear how many homes have been evacuated.
"Homes are currently threatened with the possibility of more structures threatened if the fire spreads," the city said.
Coast Highway is also closed.
The fire broke out around 4 a.m. in a wilderness area between Laguna Beach and Emerald Bay near Pacific Coast Highway. A thick plume of smoke hung in the air across the city.
Fire officials were battling the fire both on the ground and in the air, with the focus on protecting Emerald Bay homes in the path of the fire.
Councilman George Weiss was standing in an empty lot in north Laguna Beach just before 6 a.m. Thursday consulting with firefighters about their plan of attack. He could hear evacuation messages being broadcast over loudspeakers to nearby residents, urging them to leave their homes.
"The fire is lodged up in the hills in Emerald Bay and it's traveling down the slope toward Irvine Cove," he said. "It's breezy right now, but if the wind shifts it looks like we're in trouble."
The fire forced the closure of all of the city's schools, the Laguna Beach Unified School District said.
"The safety of our students is the number one priority in LBUSD, and we will provide updates as we gain further information," the district wrote in a statement. "Please stay safe."
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