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Emerald Fire: Laguna Beach residents forced to flee as bushfire rages across 145 acres

The fire has burned through approximately 145.2 acres of land located on a hillside above the gated Emerald Bay community

BY TRISHA SINHA ROY

PUBLISHED FEB 11, 2022

Firefighters attempt to put out the fire in Orange County (Twitter)

Evacuation orders were announced after a raging bushfire forced the residents of Laguna Beach to escape from their wealthy million-dollar homes. It has since been lifted. The Emerald Fire was reported at 4 am on Thursday, February 10, and reached a heightened intensity after strong 30mph winds from Santa Ana and a temperature of over 80°F fuelled it even further.

The fire has burned through approximately 145.2 acres of land located on a hillside above the gated Emerald Bay community. The flames and smoke from the bushfire could even be spotted from Long Beach and a few other parts of Southern California. Evacuation orders were announced for the residents of Irvin Cove and Emerald Bay after only 20% of the fire could be contained by 9 pm on the day it broke out. The orders were lifted after 3 pm.

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Firefighters try to tone down fire in Orange County (Photo via Orange County Fire Authority)

Weather experts reported that the fire was augmented by the rising temperatures in Los Angeles. A heat advisory has been issued, starting from Wednesday, February 9 through till Sunday, February February 13, by the National Weather Service. The temperature in the region reportedly rose to 80°F on Thursday. The National Weather Service had also issued a wind advisory warning about northeast winds that travel mostly between 15 and 20 mph but sometimes go up to 30 mph.

Lagun Beach is an area well known for the its exoensive homes and rich residents. The place is located on the seaside Orange County community which is located about 55 miles away from Hollywood. Laguna Beach once had famous personalities residing there like Rock Hudson, Judy Garland, Mickey Rooney, Rudolph Valentino, and Bette Davis. The average Laguna Beach home is priced at $2,908,275 and residents live very close to some scenic cliffs, coves, and the long coastline. Firefighters were able to control the fire from spreading to the Beach neighborhood and none of the million-dollar homes were harmed by the fire.