Drones track hotspots of coastal fires that have ravaged the Laguna Niguel neighborhood – Orange County Register

The Coastal Fire remained at 200 acres and 40% containment overnight as firefighters used thermal imaging drones to search for hot spots to prevent parts of the blaze from reigniting, authorities said.

Then the firefighters went to the hot spot and put it out.

Others continued to assess the damage to surviving homes to ensure they were safe in the Coronado Pointe neighborhood, said Captain Thanh Nguyen of the Orange County Fire Authority. Firefighters allowed most of the evacuated residents to return to their homes, but some 131 homes were still under evacuation orders as of Saturday morning May 14.

About 900 homes had been evacuated for the blaze which destroyed 20 homes and damaged 11 others.

“Today the focus is on finding hotspots and mitigating any danger in order to open up areas,” Nguyen said.

The wind-driven fire started in Aliso and Wood Canyon around 2:45 p.m. Wednesday, May 11, and grew to 200 acres that day.

In recent days, the percentage of containment has swelled. This figure is the amount of perimeter of the fire that has been stopped, either by the work of the firefighters or by obstacles such as a body of water.

The cause of the fire was under investigation. Southern Cal Edison on Wednesday night sent out a report showing circuit activity in the area at the time the fire broke out, but the agency declined to elaborate, and it’s unclear whether that has had an effect on the initial ignition.

This is a developing story. Please check for updates.

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