County activates Emergency Operations Center and public hotline in response to Holy Jim brush fire

With the Holy Jim brush fire prompting voluntary evacuations in the Cleveland National Forest, the county of Orange activated its Emergency Operations Center Wednesday, along with a Public Information Hotline that can be reached by calling 714-628-7085.

A news release issued at 11:30 a.m. said county officials had identified resources and mobilized support personnel in response to the 155-acre blaze in the area of Holy Jim Canyon. According to this report in the Orange County Register, the fire was reported shortly before 5 a.m.

Residents are encouraged to keep informed of new developments through local media and by visiting www.OCEmergencyNews.com. In addition, updates will be provided on Twitter through @ocfa_pio, @clevelandnf and @OrangeCountyEOC.

Update, 12:30 p.m.

The American Red Cross is opening an Evacuation Center for community members affected by the Holy Jim Fire. The Evacuation Center is located at the Silverado Community Center, 27641 Silverado Canyon Road in Silverado.

Update, 7 p.m.

County officials have made the call to deactivate the EOC but will continue to monitor developments related to the Holy Jim Fire. Here’s their latest news release:

The County of Orange will deactivate the Emergency Operations Center and its Public Information hotline at 7:00 p.m. tonight, Wednesday, August 31. Emergency Operations Center staff will continue to monitor the Holy Jim Fire as firefighters continue working to contain the fire currently burning in the Cleveland National Forest.

All resources and support personnel have been identified and are on standby ready to mobilize all areas of the Emergency Operations Center if a reactivation is needed.

The Red Cross will also close its evacuation center located at Silverado Community Center at 7:00 p.m. tonight.

Members of the public who have questions related to the Holy Jim Fire may call the US Forest Service hotline at 951-736-1811 until 8:00 p.m. tonight.

Residents who need shelter or other assistance may call the OC Sheriff’s Department dispatch at 714-647-7000.

Residents are encouraged to stay informed of the most current information by monitoring: