A brush fire exploded Wednesday afternoon in Orange County, threatening a Southern California community and prompting shelter-in-place orders as firefighters scrambled to contain the flames.
The so-called Gibby Fire was reported shortly after 2 p.m. near Ortega Highway in Rancho Mission Viejo, according to fire officials.
By 4:45 p.m., the blaze had grown to 216 acres and was burning at a moderate rate of spread, with the Rancho Carrillo community and nearby commercial structures threatened, according to CAL FIRE.
Officials warned the fire could potentially grow to 1,000 acres.
A shelter-in-place order was issued for Zone ORT01 in Orange County around 4 p.m., followed shortly afterward by another order for Zone RVC-2074 in Riverside County, according to the Genasys evacuation maps.
Riverside County was added to the incident because of the fire’s proximity to the county line.
Road closures were mounting as the flames spread.
The California Highway Patrol shut down Ortega Highway in both directions between Rancho Mission Viejo and Lake Elsinore and urged drivers to avoid the area.
The flames also prompted the closure of Caspers Wilderness Park.
No evacuation orders had been issued as of 4 p.m., but there are rapidly changing conditions.
This is a developing story.
