Dozens of people were forced to evacuate their homes near Laguna Beach after a quick-moving wildfire broke out on Wednesday, according to officials.
At least 20 homes have been destroyed in Laguna Niguel by the so-called Coastal Fire, according to Orange County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Scott Steinle.
The blaze began around 2:45 p.m. on Wednesday near the South Orange County Wastewater Authority's Coastal Treatment Plant, Steinle said at a press conference late Wednesday evening.
Both the Orange County Fire Authority and the Laguna Beach Fire Department responded to the fire "with heavy resources on the ground and in the air," according to a post on the City of Laguna Niguel's Facebook page.
A temporary shelter has opened at Crown Valley Community Center on Crown Valley Parkway for those impacted by the fire, per the post
Local officials ordered a mandatory evacuation for the Coronado Pointe and Pacific Island Drive areas, according to the Orange County Fire Authority.
Voluntary evacuation orders were issued for the area south of Flying Cloud Drive and Pacific Island Drive to the intersection of Pacific Island Drive and Crown Valley Parkway as well.
As of 6 a.m. Thursday, the fire was estimated at 199 acres in size, per the OCFD's Twitter page.
Southern California Edison said in a report released publicly Wednesday night that there was "circuit activity occurring close in time to the reported time of the fire."
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In a statement released Wednesday night, Southern California Edison spokesperson David Eisenhauer said, "Our thoughts are with the community members whose homes have been damaged and those who have been evacuated because of the Coastal Fire and we are coordinating with fire agencies as needed to ensure firefighter safety."
"Our top priority is the safety of customers, employees and communities," he added, "which is why we continue to enhance our wildfire mitigation efforts through grid hardening, situational awareness and enhanced operational practices."