A brush fire started in a hilly canyon area of Laguna Beach around 2:15 p.m. Monday and for a time threatened homes, prompting officials to order evacuations before forward progress of the fire was stopped around three hours later. Fireworks were suspected as the cause and the fire resulted in temporary gridlock on busy Coast Highway.
Forward progress of the Rancho fire was halted just after 5 p.m. at about 4 acres, Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Sean Doran said.
“We’re making tremendous progress,” Doran said, adding the air attack helped slow the flames.
“It was a hard aerial assault (on the fire),” said Doran, who added mild winds were a factor in helping crews stop the fire.
No structure damage was reported, Laguna Beach Fire Chief Niko King said.
King praised the OCFA and neighboring departments for helping with the fight to contain the fire.
“It was great we had air resources come in a few minutes,” King said. “But this is still a very dynamic situation… We’re asking people to not go to the fire and stay clear.”
As of around 4:45 p.m., about 100 homes had been evacuated in the Arch Beach Heights neighborhood after the fire broke out in Bluebird Canyon in an area that had recently been approved for fuel-reduction work by hand crews, Mayor Alex Rounaghi said.
Rounaghi added that by late afternoon five helicopters and one plane were making drops on the fire.
Click here for a map of the fire location.
La Mirada Street, Katella Street, Summit Drive and Baja Street were ordered evacuated. But by 7:34 p.m. evacuation orders were lifted, the city said.
- Firefighters battle the Rancho Fire in Laguna Beach, CA on July 7, 2025.  (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A man watches from the end of Noria Street as firefighters battle the Rancho fire in Laguna Beach on Monday, July 7, 2025. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
What appears to be a firework is on the ground as firefighters battle the Rancho Fire in Laguna Beach, CA on July 7, 2025. Laguna Beach Police Chief Jeff Calvert said fireworks are suspected as the cause of the fire. All fireworks are illegal in Laguna Beach. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Firefighters battle the Rancho Fire in Laguna Beach, CA on July 7, 2025.  (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Firefighters battle the Rancho Fire in Laguna Beach, CA on July 7, 2025.  (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Firefighters battle the Rancho Fire in Laguna Beach, CA on July 7, 2025.  (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Firefighters battle the Rancho Fire in Laguna Beach, CA on July 7, 2025.  (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Firefighters battle the Rancho Fire in Laguna Beach, CA on July 7, 2025.  (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Firefighters battle the Rancho Fire in Laguna Beach, CA on July 7, 2025.  (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Firefighters battle the Rancho fire in Laguna Beach on Monday, July 7, 2025. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Firefighters battle the Rancho Fire in Laguna Beach, CA on July 7, 2025.  (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Firefighters battle the Rancho fire in Laguna Beach on Monday, July 7, 2025. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Firefighters battle the Rancho Fire in Laguna Beach, CA on July 7, 2025.  (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A brush fire started in a hilly area of Laguna Beach around 2:15 p.m. Monday and was threatening homes, prompting officials to order evacuations. Fireworks were suspected as the cause and the fire resulted in gridlock on busy Coast Highway. (Photo by OnScene.TV)
A brush fire started in a hilly area of Laguna Beach around 2:15 p.m. Monday and was threatening homes, prompting officials to order evacuations. Fireworks were suspected as the cause and the fire resulted in gridlock on busy Coast Highway. (Photo by OnScene.TV)
A brush fire started in a hilly area of Laguna Beach around 2:15 p.m. Monday and was threatening homes, prompting officials to order evacuations. Fireworks were suspected as the cause and the fire resulted in gridlock on busy Coast Highway. (Photo by OnScene.TV)
Rosalie with Benny Buttons. She’s a longtime Sawdust artist who fled Monday’s Rancho fire along with Benny and husband Alan. (Photo by Erika Ritchie, SCNG)
A Care and Reception center had been set up at the Community & Susi Q Center, 380 3rd Street, the city said.
The fire started near the intersection of Morningside (Drive) and Rancho Laguna Road, north of Fernando Street Park.
“The fire is progressing rapidly up the hillside and is currently threatening homes,” King said shortly after the fire broke out as ground crews set up for structure defense.
Maryann Minck and her husband Mike have lived in Laguna Beach since 2003 and Maryann said the fire left her feeling terrified.
She was in Laguna Canyon when she received a call from Mike telling her there was smoke in the backyard and “there is a problem, don’t come home.”
Their son, Ellis Minck, 16 was also driving through Laguna Canyon from water polo training at El Toro High School.
“My friend called me and said there’s a fire by your house,” Ellis said. “At the corner of Cress and Temple Terrace, I saw a cloud of smoke. Fire trucks were screaming down the canyon and cutting through the median.”
Ellis and his mother later met up with Mike and waited for the all clear.
Longtime residents Alan and his wife Rosalie, who live near where the fire broke out at La Mirada and Summit, raced out out with only their dog, Benny Buttons, a cockapoo; and very personal treasures.
“I didn’t see anything but I saw people running,” said Rosalie.”My dog started barking and then I got the order. We were lucky we left right away. There were a few cars and it only got backed up toward the bottom.”
“It’s a haunting experience,” said Alan. “In January after the LA fires we packed up everything, but now it was too close for comfort knowing it was just two blocks away. You have to be focused on what’s most critical. That means your family, your animal’s life.
“I ran without even taking my computer,” he said. “The only thing I grabbed is my Tallis bag. And in it is a special note from my mother before she died.”
Gridlock conditions were reported on southbound and northbound Coast Highway to the west of the fire, with emergency personnel trying to squeeze through the jammed traffic. Trolleys full of passengers were stuck and all vehicles traveling southbound on Coast at the Montage resort were being turned around at Montage Resort Drive.
Coast Highway was temporarily closed while crews worked on the fire, but later reopened.
Rancho Laguna/Bluebird Canyon, 1190 Morningside Drive and the Fire Road in both directions remain closed as of about 7:20 p.m., the city said.
With many roads temporarily closed, many evacuees were staging at the former Gelson’s market site across from the Montage Resort.
Among the people there was Joshua Hanna, a Laguna Beach resident and Community Emergency Response Team member who as an Uber driver was picking up orders. He ran over to Laguna Beach police officers offering to help direct traffic as Coast Highway became even more gridlocked.
Crime scene tape was seen in the area along with what appeared to be fireworks mortar on the ground and Laguna Beach Police Chief Jeff Calvert said fireworks are suspected as the cause of the fire. All fireworks are illegal in Laguna Beach. No arrests or citations were immediately announced in relation to the fire.
A man nearby said that just before the fire was reported, he heard a loud boom like that of a firecracker.
“I heard a boom around 1:55, it sounded like an M80. I got up, I went and checked, I saw three kids riding their e-bikes down the hill,” said Roger Robleto, who was house-sitting at a residence at the neighborhood corner where the fire started.
He said he saw faint smoke from the front window of the house. But when he checked the outdoor patio area, he saw a “bellow” of white smoke andwent to check it out.
“I walked out to the middle of the street and that’s when I saw the big smoke and the fire. It was raging at that point … It sounded like a dragon,” said Robleto.
The fire broke out in 68-degree weather, with relative humidity around 80% and winds of 4-6 mph with gusts of 10-13 mph, the National Weather Service said.
City News Service and staff photographer Jeff Gritchen contributed to this story.
Originally Published: July 7, 2025 at 2:47 PM PDT
