Local News
Timelapse video shows dramatic spread of Airport Fire – NBC Los Angeles
Time-lapse video captured the explosive growth of an Orange County wildfire that has destroyed homes and burned tens of thousands of acres in two Southern California counties.
The Airport Fire, one of three major wildfires in Southern California, started Monday and raced from Trabuco Canyon to Lake Elsinore in a matter of hours. By Thursday morning, the fire burned more than 23,400 acres with containment at 5 percent.
Cooler temperatures were in the forecast, which will aid firefighters as they try to increase containment of the fire that has destroyed an unknown number of homes, and injured 10 firefighters and two other people.
“We got a lot of recovery (Tuesday) night because it cooled down,” OCFA Division Chief Kevin Fetterman said. “Last night, it was 60 degrees, so that helped us improve those containment lines. That containment is expected to grow in our next report.”
Fetterman added that the change in the weather overnight slowed the fire’s growth and allowed firefighters to increase containment lines.
“Most of those firefighters injured were heat-related illnesses,” Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Steve Concialdi said. “But one did get stung by numerous bees, and one sustained minor burns and the other couple had some injuries from fighting the fire, but all were released from the hospital and are doing well.”
At a Wednesday afternoon news conference, Fetterman reported two civilian injuries — one who suffered a medical emergency and one with unspecified burns — and a total of 10 firefighter injuries.
Cars were lining up at checkpoints in Orange County as neighbors made their way back to their homes after some evacuations orders were lifted for the Airport Fire. Macy Jenkins reports for the NBC4 News at 11 p.m. on Sept. 12, 2024.
Burn scars from the Holy Fire in 2018 and 2022 also provided fire breaks.
The Airport Fire began about 1 p.m. Monday near Trabuco Canyon Road in the area of the remote-controlled airplane airport, said Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Sean Doran. Concialdi said that by Tuesday morning, the fire had raced up the canyons and hillsides and crested into Riverside County. The blaze also bore down on Santiago Peak, which is home to a series of radio and television broadcast towers, used not only by local media outlets but also federal and local government agencies. The fire appeared to lap right up to the base of some of the towers, but the equipment appeared to escape any serious damage.
By early Tuesday evening, the flames marched downslope toward Lake Elsinore, with video from the area showing some structures and vehicles consumed by flames.
Orange County Fire Authority Deputy Chief TJ McGovern told reporters Monday night that the fire was accidentally sparked by a county work crew. McGovern said Orange County Public Works crews were working in the area near Trabuco Creek Road, using heavy equipment to place boulders meant to replace barriers used to restrict access to the vegetation.
The OCFA was using new firefighting helicopters that could dump 1,000 gallons of water on the flames, Doran said.
Click here for updated evacuation information.
So far in 2024, California’s state firefighting agency has reported more than 6,000 wildfires that burned more than 977,000 acres. The acreage burned is a dramatic increase from 2023, when Cal Fire reported 5,053 wildfires that burned 253,755 acres. The five-year average is 5,912 wildfires and 868,803 acres burned.
Local News
How to add California driver’s license to iPhone, Apple Watch – NBC Los Angeles
California driver’s license holders can now add their state ID to Apple Wallet on their IPhone and Apple Watch, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Thursday.
The digital IDs will be accepted at Transportation Security Administration (TSA) check points, including Los Angeles International Airport and San Francisco Airport, as well as select businesses.
“With this new integration, we’re working to better serve the people of California in the 21st Century,” Newsom said in a statement.
Here’s how to add your ID to Apple Wallet
- Go to Apple Wallet
- Click the + button on the top right-hand corner
- Under the “Add to Wallet” section, tap “Driver’s License or State ID” to select “California mDL Pilot.
- Scan the front and back sides of your California ID
- Scan your face
- Take a picture
- Wait for verification from the California DMV.
But there’s a catch
The mobile driver’s license (mDL) pilot program is currently only limited to 1.5 million participants.
If your license is expired or suspended, your mDL will be rejected.
Other factors that could impact your mDL applications are:
- Wearing headwear
- Not using plain background
- Lack of consistent lighting
- Other faces in the frame
- Wearing sunglasses
More tips can be found here.
Last month, the state announced the DMV addition of Google Wallet as an option to hold driver’s licenses and identification cards.
Local News
Find Riverside County Airport Fire recovery assistance – NBC Los Angeles
Residents impacted by the Airport Fire in Riverside County can visit a local assistance center in Lake Elsinore.
Residents seeking assistance with food, health care support and more are welcomed to visit the one-stop resource center located at the Lake Community Center. The center will be open from noon to 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.
The Riverside County Department of Public Social Services, Public Health, Housing & Workforce Solutions and other local agencies will be joined by representatives from the California Office of Emergency Services and several nonprofit organizations to provide information on how to get financial, medical and related aid.
Residents seeking help also can click here.
On Tuesday, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors approved an emergency declaration, enabling the county to seek state and federal allocations for infrastructure repairs or improvements and general recovery of expenses stemming from the blaze.
As of Thursday, the Airport Fire was 41% contained at more than 23,500 acres in Orange and Riverside counties.
For information about Orange County recovery resources, click here.
Local News
Find Orange County Airport Fire recovery resources – NBC Los Angeles
Orange County launched a website and plans to open an assistance center to provide residents with information about recovering from the Airport Fire.
Residents affected by the fire, which also burned in Riverside County, can click here to find information about wildfire assistance.
The county also will open a wildfire recovery assistance center at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo. The center will be open from 3 to 9 p.m. Thursday; 3 to 9 p.m. Friday; and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at 28000 Marguerite Parkway in the second-floor lounge.
The fire, which started more than a week ago, has burned 23,519 acres with containment at 39 percent. The fire destroyed 160 structures and damaged 34 others.
Below-normal temperatures are helping firefighters make progress with helicopter water drops. Crews are working to increse the perimeter with warmer weather in the forecast.
Most evacuation orders and warnings were lifted in Orange County, but many are still in effect in Riverside County. Residents can visit this page to determine if their homes are impacted by evacuation orders or warnings.
The fire was one of three major fires that started during a week of extremely warm temperatures in Southern California.
Information about Los Angeles and San Bernardino county recovery resources can be found here.
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