Airport Fire in Riverside, Orange counties slows but still threatens homes

Weather conditions helped firefighters slow the pace of the Airport Fire overnight, which has destroyed multiple structures and continues to threaten others Thursday morning.

Officials said the wildfire burning in Orange and Riverside counties was ignited accidentally by a spark from heavy equipment used by public workers in Trabuco Canyon on Monday.

As of 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Cal Fire said the fire had scorched 23,453 acres and was 5% contained.

It remains unclear how many structures have been destroyed, but fire officials said Thursday they believe it is in the dozens. Sky5 footage on Wednesday showed the rubble of several charred homes in the communities of El Cariso Village and Deckert Canyon.

Ten firefighters were treated for injuries but are expected to be okay.

Evacuation orders remain in place Thursday for dozens of zones in Riverside County, including areas north of the San Diego/Riverside County line, south of the Orange County line, east of the Orange County line, and west of South Main Divide/Grand Avenue, according to Caltrans.

Three zones remain under an evacuation order in Orange County with evacuation warnings still in place for parts of both counties.

On Wednesday afternoon, some evacuation orders were downgraded to warnings and others were lifted. The latest updates on evacuations and information about evacuation centers and road closures can be found on the Airport Fire incident website .

Newsom’s office announced on Wednesday that a state of emergency had been declared due to the wildfires burning across four counties in Southern California and that a federal grant had been secured to help with the costs of battling the Airport Fire.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.