Overview
- The Gibby Fire broke out just after 2 p.m. and expanded from an estimated 3 acres to about 450 acres within roughly 90 minutes, according to fire authorities.
- Orange County Fire Authority said it is operating in unified command with Cal Fire, the U.S. Forest Service, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and the county parks department.
- Firefighters are attacking the blaze from the air and the ground and have ordered additional crews and aircraft to the scene.
- Ortega Highway (SR-74) is closed eastbound at Gateway in Rancho Mission Viejo and westbound at Grand in Lake Elsinore, and officials said at last check there were no evacuation orders and no homes immediately threatened.
- The incident highlights the region’s late-summer fire risk in steep, brush-covered terrain and could prompt further road closures or evacuation notices if fire behavior changes.