How cold winds, a turbocharged fire and huge homes led to destruction in Laguna Niguel

But the fierce winds from the Pacific Ocean were“It’s so heartbreaking,” said Supervisor Lisa Bartlett, whose district includes Laguna Niguel. “It started as three to five acres, and then it went to 40 acres in like a millisecond and went out of control from there.”

“When you take a look at the size of the homes, there’s just so much combustible material that they burn fast, and then the wind starts and the flames can just leap from house to house,” Bartlett said. “We’re hoping as the evening hours approach that the winds will die down and the firefighters can really get in there and do their work.”

An estimated 20 homes — perhaps more — were destroyed. Firefighters were battling to prevent more homes from going up in flames.Orange County Fire Authority Chief Brian Fennessy said the destruction underscored the year-round danger of fires in Southern California, even in cool conditions.“It’s sad to say that we’re getting kind of used to this,” Fennessy said. “The winds we experienced today are normal winds. ... We’re seeing spread in ways we haven’t before.

However, the winds blew in with a dry air mass and didn’t carry much moisture, and humidity remained low, which likely assisted in the fire’s spread, Brandt said.Vegetation across the county had already seen little rainfall. Between October and April, Southern California’s rainy season, less than 7 inches of rain fell at nearby John Wayne Airport, nearly 40% less than normal levels, Brandt said.

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