Orange County firefighters stop forward progress of 250-acre brush fire near Ortega Highway

Orange County firefighters battled a brush fire burning near the Ortega Highway on Wednesday before stopping forward progress of the flames.

The so-called Gibby Fire was reported just after 2 p.m. in the 34700 block of SR-74 in unincorporated Rancho Mission Viejo, near San Juan Capistrano, according to the Orange County Fire Authority. 

Firefighters said the fire has burned approximately 450 acres as of 4 p.m., as they work to battle the flames from the air and ground. They later downgraded the total acreage to 250 acres burned.

No homes were immediately threatened, firefighters said. 

According to Cal Fire, shelter-in-place orders were issued for Casper's Park and Rancho Carrillo in Orange County and zone RVC-2074 in Riverside County. Both orders were lifted by 8 p.m.

California Highway Patrol officers closed the highway eastbound at Gateway in Rancho Mission Viejo and westbound at Grand in Lake Elsinore. They said the closure would last overnight into Thursday.

OCFA officials said they were in unified command with personnel from Cal Fire, the U.S. Forest Service, Orange County Sheriff's and the Orange County Department of Parks and Recreation.