Coastal Fire fueled by gusty winds destroyed at least 20 homes and forced the evacuation of nearly a thousand homes in Orange County, California, on Wednesday (May 11).

Orange County Fire Authority Assistant Chief of Field Operations TJ McGovern said that the fire quickly grew to about 200 acres.

A rapidly moving brush fire destroyed at least 20 homes and forced the evacuation of nearly a thousand homes in Orange County, California, on Wednesday in a foreboding sign of the new normal for the region.

The Coastal Fire began Wednesday afternoon at about 2:45 p.m. in the Aliso and Wood Canyons Wilderness Park and quickly grew to about 200 acres, Orange County Fire Authority Assistant Chief of Field Operations TJ McGovern said

The fire was fueled by gusty winds that reached up to 30 mph in the area, according to nearby observations from the National Weather Service. That is in addition to dry conditions from an ongoing severe drought in the entire region, according to the latest US Drought Monitor.