Hundreds can return to homes

Massive Coronado Pointe cleanup begins; blaze 40% contained

Hundreds of Laguna Niguel residents were allowed to return to their homes Friday as firefighters made strides against the Coastal fire that destroyed 20 multimillion-dollar houses and damaged 11 others.

The 200-acre fire was 40% contained as of 6:20 p.m., up from 15% the prior evening, the Orange County Fire Authority said.

Evacuation orders were lifted from surrounding areas but remained in place for 131 homes, down from 900, the OCFA announced at 3 p.m.

Houses on streets at the core of the destruction — including Coronado Pointe, Vista Court, La Vue, La Fleur, Le Port, Via La Rosas and Vista Montemar — remain off limits.

The fire was in its third day Friday. Part of what allowed it to spread so quickly Wednesday in the ridgetop community of Coronado Pointe was the natural contours of the hillsides, which funneled the strong winds, said Capt. Thanh Nguyen, spokesman for the Orange County Fire Authority.

“In a wide-open space, the wind wouldn't be as concentrated, but if you channel it through a narrow passageway, that's what we were dealing with,” Nguyen said.

The channels are topographical and common to hillsides, he said.

“We can't control that,” he said. The fire's containment jumped from 15% to 25% just before 9 a.m. Friday morning, officials said. Containment is the percentage of the perimeter that the fire won't creep beyond.

Firefighters continued assessing the damaged homes to ensure

PAUL BERSEBACH — STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Firefighters sift through the rubble of a house on Coronado Pointe in Laguna Niguel on Thursday. The Coastal fire destroyed 20 homes and damaged 11 others. Evacuation orders remain in place for those with homes in the burn area. The fire remained at 200 acres Friday.