A wildfire that broke out along Ortega Highway in Orange County grew to about 216 acres on Wednesday, Sept. 2, prompting shelter-in-place orders in parts of Orange and Riverside counties.
The Gibby Fire was reported at 2:02 p.m. near Ortega Highway and Gibby Road in unincorporated Rancho Mission Viejo, according to the Orange County Fire Authority.
By Wednesday afternoon, Incident Commander Chief Maule said crews were making "great progress" from the ground and air. As the smoke cleared, crews were able to more accurately map the fire.
The Orange County Fire Authority was working alongside Cal Fire, the U.S. Forest Service, California Highway Patrol, Orange County Sheriff's Department and OC Parks. Firefighters were using helicopters, fixed-wing
aircraft, hand crews and bulldozers.
No structures were threatened as of Wednesday afternoon, OFSA said. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
OCFA remains actively engaged in fighting the #GibbyFire and is in unified command with CAL FIRE, the U.S. Forest Service, CHP, OCSD, and OC Parks.
— OCFA (@OCFireAuthority) September 2, 2026
Firefighters continue working from the ground and air. Please continue to avoid the area. pic.twitter.com/Mt9eKpkYz9
Gibby Fire evacuations
Shelter-in-place orders were issued for Orange County's Rancho Carrillo and Ronald W. Caspers Wilderness Park, which is closed, along with its campgrounds, according to OC Parks.
Visitors with questions about campsite reservations can call the Ronald W. Caspers Wilderness Park office at 949-923-2210 or O’Neill Regional Park at 949-923-2260.
In Riverside County, a shelter-in-place order was issued for evacuation zone RVC-2074.
Residents can monitor real-time emergency alerts and evacuation information through Genasys Protect at protect.genasys.com or through its mobile app.
Gibby Fire road closures
Ortega Highway, also known as State Route 74, was closed eastbound at Avenida La Pata in Rancho Mission Viejo and westbound at Grand Avenue in Lake Elsinore.
Rancho Carrillo Road was also closed.
Jennifer Cortez covers education and breaking news in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at jennifer.cortez@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Gibby Fire in Orange, Riverside counties closes road, covers 216 acres
