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Incident desk/Caspers Wilderness ParkRecorded Sep 2, 2026
COVERAGE ENDEDFireSep 2, 2026

Ortega Fire β€” Ortega Highway at Gibby Road, San Juan Capistrano

Recorded area: Caspers Wilderness Park, San Juan Capistrano3:35 PM–2:41 PM PT8 updates

Neighborhood page: Helicopters over Caspers Wilderness Park

THE SCENE FROM ABOVECaspers Wilderness ParkNo flight recording for this story

AS THE STORY UNFOLDED

The timeline

All times Pacific
  1. 3:35 PMSep 2

    Named the Gibby Fire on the official feeds, and being referred to as the Ortega Fire. Watch Duty reports 450 acres with active evacuation zones as of 3:29 p.m.; CAL FIRE's incident page still read 130 acres at 3:16 p.m. Reported at about 2:08 p.m. per Watch Duty. Ortega Highway (SR-74) is closed eastbound at Gateway in Rancho Mission Viejo and westbound at Grand in Lake Elsinore. A full air attack is working the fire: two Orange County Fire Authority helicopters, a CAL FIRE ship, UC Helitanker 1 and a contract PJ Helicopters ship, with a Helinet news helicopter orbiting above the fire traffic area at 5,500 feet. Β· per Watch Duty

  2. 3:37 PMSep 2

    ABC7: Gibby Fire updates: Crews battle fast-moving brush fire in San Juan Capistrano

  3. 4:21 PMSep 2

    ABC7: Gibby Fire updates: Shelter-in-place issued for some Orange County residents amid growing brush fire in San Juan Capistrano

  4. 4:24 PMSep 2

    3:45 p.m. β€” The fire is now 220 acres. Ortega Highway remains closed eastbound at Gateway in Rancho Mission Viejo and westbound at Grand in Lake Elsinore. Three aircraft are still working it: two CAL FIRE helicopters, one of them low over the fire, and UC Helitanker 1. A news helicopter is holding above the fire traffic area at 5,500 feet.

  5. 4:32 PMSep 2

    4:31 p.m. β€” Both official sources now agree on 216 acres, Watch Duty at 4:30 p.m. and CAL FIRE at 4:22 p.m. Watch Duty no longer lists active evacuation zones in its description, which it did through the 3:29 p.m. update. Four news helicopters are now over the fire alongside five firefighting aircraft: KTLA Sky5, KNBC NewsChopper 4, KTTV SkyFOX 11 and KABC AIR7, with a fifth ABC ship earlier. CAL FIRE and Orange County Fire Authority helicopters and UC Helitanker 1 are still working it. Β· per Watch Duty

  6. 5:10 PMSep 2

    ABC7: Gibby Fire updates: Shelter-in-place issued for some Orange and Riverside County residents amid brush fire in San Juan Capistrano

  7. 9:32 PMSep 2

    9:31 p.m. β€” CAL FIRE last updated the incident at 9:04 p.m. with 216 acres; Watch Duty listed 250 acres at 8:19 p.m. No containment figure published by either. No aircraft remain over the fire: the air attack stood down for the night after five firefighting aircraft and four news helicopters worked it through the afternoon.

  8. 2:41 PMSep 3

    Thursday 2:41 p.m. β€” A day in and the fire is still going: 217 acres, 5% contained. Watch Duty last updated at 10:45 a.m. and CAL FIRE at 8:17 a.m., and both agree on the numbers. No firefighting or news helicopters are over it right now; the only aircraft nearby is a military flight passing 6 miles away at 3,000 feet. Β· per Watch Duty