Brush Fires Blacken Grassland in Irvine, Fullerton

Two brush fires at opposite ends of Orange County, both believed to have been set, scorched several acres of grassland near occupied structures Thursday, authorities said.

In Irvine, illegal use of fireworks blackened about three-fourths of an acre of hilltop near Concordia University, Orange County Fire Department spokeswoman Kathleen Cha said.

The fire, which investigators believe was caused by a smoke bomb, was reported at 1:10 p.m., Cha said. Witnesses told investigators they saw two juveniles running from the scene, in the 1500 block of Concordia, about that time.

While the smoke bomb that may caused the blaze is classified as “safe and sane” fireworks where such sales are permitted, Cha said, it is banned in Irvine. Regardless of the classification, she said, fireworks are “a heat source. If you misuse it, or put it in the wrong area, there are going to be problems. Luckily, this remained a small grass fire.”

It took 45 firefighters using a water-dropping helicopter about 35 minutes to control the blaze. There were no injuries.

About two hours later, a brush fire broke out near a Fullerton housing development.

The fire at West Coyote Hills Tree Park near Parks Road and Avenida del Norte came within 100 feet of several houses, Fire Marshal John Clark said. They were saved because the homeowners had cleared the brush near their structures earlier this summer as part of the city’s weed abatement program, he said.

“It worked just like it was supposed to,” Clark said. “There were some nervous people here though.”

He said the cause of the fire was under investigation, but he speculated that it was “set by a human.”

About 30 firefighters worked nearly 35 minutes to control the brush fire, Clark said.