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Laguna Beach fire forces part of Pacific Coast Highway to close


Wildfire near Laguna Beach forces partial closure of Pacific Coast HighwayThe early morning brush fire in California prompted evacuations for Irvine Cove and Emerald Bay.STAFF VIDEO, USA TODAYAn early morning brush fire in Southern California prompted evacuations for parts of the Laguna Beach area and temporarily closed a section of the iconic Pacific Coast Highway, authorities said Thursday.The Orange County Fire Authority said despite the scare, it appeared the blaze was under control by the afternoon. Fire officials got a call around 4 a.m. about a vegetation fire in Emerald Bay, just north of Laguna Beach and about 50 miles south of downtown Los Angeles.Brian Fennessy, fire chief of the Orange County Fire Authority, said at a morning news conference the blaze had reached 7 to 10 acres but was looking “very good. Spread has slowed.””Based on everything I’m hearing now, the fire is looking much better than it did this morning,” Fennessy told reporters. “At this time I’m feeling pretty confident that we’ve got a pretty good handle on this fire right now.”Fennessy noted the unusualness of winter fires, adding that the hillsides were green. But low humidity and high winds still were able to fan the flames as Southern California remains in the grip of a winter heat wave. Witheringly low humidity levels are also sapping moisture from vegetation.Throughout the morning, helicopters dropped water, air tankers dropped fire-reducing retardant and fire engines remained stationed in front of homes in the area.Irvine Cove and Emerald Bay were both ordered to evacuate and a warning was issued for North Laguna, the city of Laguna Beach said in a statement. Evacuees were told to head south as a stretch of the highway, also known as State Route 1, was closed. Laguna Beach has a population of around 23,000 but sees about 6 million tourists a year, according to the city website.By the afternoon, the road was reopened and those told to evacuate were told they could return home. The cause of the fire remains under investigation, Fennessy said. The blaze appeared to run adjacent to areas with homes, though none were damaged by the fire. A high wind warning and heat advisory were in effect in the area Thursday, and nearly 50-mph gusts were recorded in the Laguna Beach, according to the National Weather Service.”We no longer have a fire season. We have a fire year,” he said.Other parts of the Pacific Coast Highway were shut down in January and hundreds of residents were evacuated as wildfires raged near Big Sur.The two-lane highway hugs the California coast for hundreds of miles. In its most famous stretch between San Francisco and Los Angeles, the roadway is carved into steep terrain around the rugged Big Sur coast.PCH IS FALLING INTO THE OCEAN:Is this the end of the road for one of America’s most scenic drives?

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