Friday 13 May 2022 01:32 AM Laguna Beach residents survey multi-million dollar mansions reduced to rubble ... trends now
Devastated residents returned to what's left of their multi-million dollar homes less than 24 hours after a wildfire ripped through the community of Laguna Niguel.
The grim before and after photos reveal just how devastating a Wednesday night California wildfire was. At least 20 multi-million dollar mansions were reduced to rubble in just a matter of hours.
The blaze - dubbed the Coastal Fire - ignited near a water treatment facility in Aliso Woods Canyon - between Laguna Niguel and Laguna Beach in Orange County - at 2.44pm and swept up steep terrain amid strong gales.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but on Wednesday night the local electricity company revealed that there was 'circuit activity occurring close in time to the reported time of the fire,' as residents say power went out before the flames erupted.
Sassan Darian holds his cat Cyrus as he watches fire crews take down hot spots from his family's fire damaged home in the aftermath of the Coastal Fire
Darian posted a video on Facebook showing his father watching the fire burn in the valley below his home, not long after the family was evacuated
Sassan Darian, 38, sat on a curb watching firefighters douse the remains of his father's five-bedroom home and recounted how he, his daughter and his father fled as winds blasted flames toward them and embers fell on them and around them.
'The sky, everything was orange. It looked like an inferno, so we just jumped in the car,' he said. 'My daughter said, 'We're on fire.' There were sparks on her and we were patting ourselves down.'
Darian earlier posted videos on his Facebook page showing his father looking down as the fire began in the valley beneath his father's home.
The day after the fire, Darian posted a photo of his father's burned down house. He wrote in the caption: 'My old friends from back in the day - remember the crazy party I had here when we were youngins?'
After being evacuated, Darian wrote on Facebook: 'That was too close for comfort. I got live embers on my clothes when we evacuated.'
By 9 p.m. local time on May 11, the fire was spread across 200 acres resulting a shelter being set up for residents at the Crown Valley Community Center
Following the devastating effects of the fire, The South Coast Air Quality Management District issued smoke advisory through until Thursday
The exact cause of the blaze remains under investigation by the Orange County Fire Authority
Zillow estimates that homes in the Laguna Niguel section can go for anywhere between $2.6 and $10 million
Members of the Torrance Fire Dept, from left, Brent Nunez, Michael Cotter and Rick Cathey protect the remains of a fire-damaged home in the aftermath of the Coastal Fire
A firefighter hoses down hot spots from a home in the aftermath of the Coastal Fire
Resident Abi Farsoni told NBC Los Angeles: 'I saw flashes of fires just coming in my house and that's the time I left with my wife. It's horrible for residents. You don't know if your home is still there. We don't know. I have a lot of things. I didn't have time to take them'
One resident Abi Forsoni described the scene as he was told evacuate, telling NBC Los Angeles: 'I saw flashes of fires just coming in my house and that's the time I left with my wife. It's horrible for residents. You don't know if your home is still there. We don't know. I have a lot of things. I didn't have time to take them.'
Fortunately for Forsoni his home was still standing.
During the evacuation, resident Carson Williams told the NBA affiliate: 'The entire street is chaotic, right now.'
'It takes your breath away,' Julianna Shapiro, 52, told the LA Times as she watched her community burn. 'It's just so hard to watch, but I can't help not watch it. It's our neighbors losing their homes. You feel so hopeless.'
Residents talk on their cell phones as they walk past a fire-damaged property in the aftermath of the Coastal Fire
According to the Red Cross, 20 people were reportedly at the local shelter that had been set up
One local resident, Keith Morey, told ABC Los Angeles: 'A lot of people get, take things, and they make them more than they are. This time will pass'
OCFA Assistant Fire Chief TJ McGovern told the media as his crews battled the fire: 'We want to thank the citizens of the community with their rapid evacuations'
A total of 900 people were under evacuation orders due to the blaze
Smoke lingers at one of over 20 homes destroyed by the Coastal Fire
Lynn and Keith Morey's five-bedroom, four-and-a-half bathroom home with a two story library and office burned to the ground, less than one year after the couple lost their business to another fire.
They had left the home earlier in the morning, ABC7 reports, and they did not have time to grab any of their belongings. As a result, Lynn lost the only photos she had left of her sister, who had passed away four years earlier.
'I'm more in shock than anything else,' Lynn said Wednesday night.
A GoFundMe has now been set to help the couple rebuild. It was then shared on Facebook, by Lynne's niece, Heather Balaban, who wrote: 'My aunt Lynn and her husband Keith are the sweetest, most giving people I know.
'Their mission in life is [to] help heal others,' she explained, noting: 'They invite people in their home to stay with them all the time.
'Unfortunately, last night their home burnt to the ground, and they had no time to grab any of their belongings because they were evacuated in Laguna Niguel.'
As of 1.30pm EST on Thursday, the online fundraiser had raised $1,550 from seven donors to help the family.
A helicopter drops water as it assists firefighters battling the Coastal Fire on a hillside
The fire was aided in spreading by ocean winds which aided it in tearing through the dry brush
The Coastal Fire accelerated through the overgrown and dry shrubs on a mix of public and private lands in the slopes around Laguna Niguel
Winds continued to push the smoke southern and eastern long the Orange and Los Angeles County coasts
A long firefighter sprays water on a canyon hillside
A spokesperson for the Southern California Con Edison, David Song, said: 'Our thoughts are with the community members whose homes have been damaged and those who were evacuated because of the Coastal fire, and we’re coordinating with fire agencies as needed to ensure firefighter safety.'
Song added: 'Our top priority is the safety of customers, employees and communities, which is why we continue to enhance our wildfire mitigation efforts through grid hardening, situational awareness and enhanced operational practices.'
The blaze quickly reached the gated community at Coronado Pointe - where properties sell for between $1million and $10million - and the 30300 block of La Vue near the Summit Trail.
It then ripped across the area and began looming over homes on Coronado Pointe. As the first homes began to burn, the embers were cast into neighboring homes, causing a devastating domino effect.
At least 20 homes in the exclusive enclave have already been engulfed by the fire and a further 100 were potentially in the wildfire's path, Orange County Sheriff's Capt. Virgil Asuncion said. Nine hundred homes remained under evacuation orders Thursday morning as flames continued to ignite.
A state of emergency has now been declared, as the Coastal Fire consumed nearly 200 acres and firefighters continued to fight the flames. There is no word on how much of the fire has already been contained.
But at least one firefighter suffered a medical emergency as he battled the flames, officials announced on Thursday, and was brought to the hospital. He is in stable condition.
Meanwhile, photos show that one seven-bedroom, eight-bathroom home, which was listed for sale on Zillow for $9.89 million was completely gutted in the aftermath.
The seven-bedroom house at 5 Vista Court in Laguna Niguel, California was listed for sale on Zillow for nearly $10 million before it was completely gutted in the Coastal Fire Wednesday night
The home boasted seven-bedrooms and eight bathrooms, with a separate 'children's wing' and another 'wellness wing' for a meditation room, gym, Pilates studio, sauna and steam room
The mansion also included its own pool in the backyard overlooking the California mansions on one side and Laguna Beach on the other
The Coastal Fire tore through the wealthy Coronado Pointe neighborhood on Wednesday night
Some homes continued to burn into Thursday morning, even after firefighters spent the night trying to quell the blaze
An aerial photo reveals just how devastating the fire was for the exclusive Laguna Niguel community
The 10,000 square foot home at 5 Vista Court in Laguna Niguel, California had boasted its own 'children's wing' with a game room and study room, as well as a two-story bedroom and a 'wellness wing to house your meditation room, gym and very own Pilates studio with sauna and steam room.'
It also included a separate outdoor pool overlooking the California mountains and Laguna Beach, as well as a four-car garage and a home theater.
Property records show that it is currently owned by a shell corporation, which purchased the luxurious mansion for $6.275 million in September 2020.
Firefighters were seen still trying to quell the flames at the mansion early Thursday morning.
Another $6.6 million four-bedroom, seven bathroom mansion at 35 Coronado Pointe had also lost its roof entirely to flames as firefighters battled to save the walls and neighboring properties.
Explosions were heard coming from one home - believed to be the sound of ammunition detonating.
Multimillion dollar mansions went up in flames in California on Wednesday as a fast-moving brush fire engulfed luxury properties overlooking the Pacific
The fire ripped across the area and began looming over homes on Coronado Pointe. By 11pm the blaze had consumed around 200 acres with zero containment. Pictured: A house is reduced to rubble by the Coastal Fire in Laguna Niguel, California, on Wednesday
Houses are set on fire by the Coastal Fire in Laguna Niguel, California, on Wednesday
A house can be seen on fire in the background after a wind-driven wildfire broke out on Wednesday near Laguna Niguel
Smoke warnings remained in effect on Thursday as firefighters continued to battle the devastating blaze
It remains unclear exactly how many homes were destroyed as of Thursday morning, when assessment teams were entering the area.
Smoke warnings remained in effect, and firefighters will likely remain on the scene through Friday, with Michelle Summers telling DailyMail.com her husband, who is a captain with the Ocean County Fire Association, 'it's the worst he's ever been on and he's got over 30 years.'
Laguna Beach has been home over the years to famous faces including Diane Keaton, Bette Midler
