Laguna Niguel Coastal Fire at 80 Percent Containment

First-Responders continue their efforts in containment of the Coastal Fire as teams work through the debris of the destruction of the Coronado Pointe neighborhood of Laguna Niguel, Calif., on May. 13, 2022. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif.—After a wildfire scorched approximately 200 acres in Aliso Wood Canyon, destroyed 20 homes, and damaged 11 more last week, fire authorities said they had reached 80 percent containment—citing favorable weather conditions.

“Our crews are continuing to check for hotspots and then will repair any fire suppression out on the hillside,” Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Thanh Nguyen told The Epoch Times.

https://twitter.com/OCFireAuthority/status/1526008735000276992?s=20&t=4Ex_aK_nMHqwzDpTP4-C-g

Nguyen said authorities have been repopulating residents back into their homes over the last 72 hours. Of the 900 houses that were ordered to evacuate May 11, about 30 are still waiting for clearance to re-enter after five days.

Nearby residents who were evacuated before the fire spread up the hillside told The Epoch Times local authorities only gave them a short amount of time to grab any necessary items from their homes due to the unpredictable and dangerous environment.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but authorities said certain factors contributed to its rapid spread, including bad drought conditions, dry vegetation, westward winds, and steep terrains advancing on Aliso Summit Trail and into the Coronado Pointe gated community.

Southern California Edison, the primary electricity supply company for much of Southern California, said in a letter to the California Public Utilities Commission that “circuit activity” could be responsible for the Coastal Fire.