Traffic-Snarling Fire Burns Near Laguna Festival : Blaze: Four acres of brush are consumed after a hapless hawk strikes a power line.

Traffic backed up for hours on Coast Highway Sunday afternoon as a fire consumed 4 acres of brush near the popular Sawdust Festival and forced the closure of Laguna Canyon Road to southbound motorists.

The blaze, apparently caused when a hawk hit a high-voltage power line and fell to earth in flames, began about 2 p.m. on a hilltop west of Laguna Canyon Road and Canyon Acres Drive, the site of the summer arts festival.

As emergency crews raced to the fire, the California Highway Patrol closed the southbound lanes of Laguna Canyon Road, the main thoroughfare into the city from the San Diego Freeway, because of heavy smoke and to provide access for emergency crews. Traffic backed up for miles on Coast Highway, as those seeking alternative routes into the scenic coastal town mixed with normally heavy weekend traffic.

“It was terrible--like I-5 at the worst possible hour you can get on it,” said Sgt. Doris Weaver of the Laguna Beach Police Department. “You just sit there and look at your neighbor.”

Police said downtown streets were gridlocked, and traffic was extremely slow-moving from Aliso State Beach to the north end of the city until shortly after 5 p.m., when Laguna Canyon Road was reopened.

“On a nice day, even if everything is moving, any kind of incident like this is going to cause a major problem because there are only so many ways in and out of Laguna,” said Police Sgt. Lance Ishmael.

About 90 Laguna Beach and Orange County firefighters, plus a contingent of county jail inmates, brought the blaze under control at about 5 p.m. Ten fire engines responded, along with a handful of bulldozers and water tenders.

The first fire crews arrived from Laguna shortly after the fire was reported, but in the steep, overgrown terrain, they had to hike 20 minutes to the top of the hill before the wildfire could be fought. Hoses from pumpers at the base of the slope were stretched about 700 feet to reach the flames. No injuries were reported.

“The biggest problem is the terrain,” said Capt. Dan Young, a spokesman for the Orange County Fire Department. “Some of this brush is 40 to 50 years old, and the only access roads to the fire area are at the top in front of the fire. You don’t want to get in front of the fire when you’re working it--that’s an excellent place to get killed.”

Young said a large hawk apparently swooped down to land on a power pole when its wings hit the 12,000-volt lines and burst into flames. The bird of prey then crashed to earth and ignited the brush.

“You can do everything possible in the world to prevent fires,” Young said, “but what are you going to do to prevent something like this? I guess you have to put the lines underground.”

According to firefighters, a woman selling tickets for the Sawdust Festival “saw a flash” and looked up in time to see the flaming hawk descend. Young said her account was supported by the discovery of a charred bird carcass at the scene.