Residents remained under evacuation orders early Thursday after a brush fire fanned by ocean winds charged up a hillside and quickly burned at least 20 homes in a Laguna Niguel neighborhood.
The Coastal Fire burned nearly 200 acres after it started early Wednesday afternoon in Aliso Woods Canyon. There is no containment, but wind speeds are expected to decrease Thursday after 20- to 30-mph gusts pushed flames into the hilltop neighborhood.
About 900 homes remained under evacuation orders Thursday morning.
At the base of Coronado Pointe, one of the evacuated areas, panicked families gathered as firefighters tried to slow flames and smoke darkened the sky.
"I saw flashes of fires just coming in my house and that's the time I left with my wife," said Abi Farsoni, who left his computer, and everything he owns.