A passing vehicle with a faulty catalytic converter on the 91 freeway is the most likely cause for the Freeway Complex fire, which has burned more than 28,000 acres and 250 homes across four counties, authorities said this morning, staff writer Salvador Hernandez reports.

He writes:

Investigators from Cal Fire, the Corona Fire Department, and the Orange County Fire Authority were on scene in Corona near Green River hours after fire began Saturday morning, investigating the cause for the flames.

Information gathered at the scene and from witnesses helped investigators to rule out arson as a cause for the fire, said Fire Chief David Waltemeyer of the Corona Fire Department.

“They did find the evidence that would point in the direction that it was caused by a vehicle traveling on the freeway,” Waltemeyer said.

Investigators with Cal Fire are still investigating all the possible causes for the fire, but believe arson is an unlikely option, said Capt. Julie Hutchinson with Cal Fire. The heavy traffic on the freeway would have prevented an arsonist to set the fire unnoticed, she said.

“A vehicle causing the fire is a very high possibility,” she said, adding that investigators will still working on the case. “They are retracing the fire to conduct a full investigation.”

A catalytic converter is being looked at as the cause of the fire, said Battalion Chief Kris Concepcion of the Orange County Fire Authority.

Used to reduce emission in vehicles, the converters can at times become hot and light the first spark of a brush fire.

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A catalytic converter from a car in Green River in Riverside County is being looked at as the preliminary cause of the Freeway Complex fire, which burned more than 28,000 acres and 250 homes in four Southern California counties.

Investigators with Cal Fire and the Riverside County Fire Department are leading the investigation into the cause.

Authorities are still reviewing evidence and statements from witnesses, but a hot catalytic converter is believed to have been the cause of the accidentally set fire, said Battalion Chief Kris Concepcion of the Orange County Fire Authority, who have also been battling the blaze since Saturday.

Catalytic converters, devices used to reduce emissions, become extremely hot and could have ignited the first spark of the Freeway Complex fire.

More details to come.

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Fire authorities believe the 28,889-acre fire that burned more than 250 homes in four counties might have been accidentally set by the exhaust equipment of a car, authorities announced today, staff writer Salvador Hernandez reports.

Investigators with the state fire agency, Cal Fire, are still investigating the cause of the Freeway Complex Fire, which has burned for four days. Authorities released the preliminary cause of the fire this morning.

Investigators are still going through evidence and witness statements.
The fire began in Riverside county at Green River, and spread quickly into Los Angeles, Orange, and San Bernardino counties.

More information to come.

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News alert: Staff writer Salvador Hernandez reports that fire investigators say a spark from a car’s exhaust system might have caused the big wildfire that started Sunday. More to come.

The Ortega Highway is open this morning. It had remained closed until 11:19 p.m. last night as fire crews from the U.S. Forest Service mopped up and investigated a 5-acre fire that was sparked there Monday afternoon.

Staff writer Salvador Hernandez reports:

The California Highway Patrol closed down a 25-mile stretch of the Ortega Highway that runs through the Cleveland National Forest after three small fires were spotted near the southern portion of the road at 2:30 p.m. The flames were doused by 4:30 p.m., but authorities kept the road closed in order to put out any remaining hot spots and begin an investigation into the cause of the fire, authorities said.

Residents in the area were allowed to go through the highway, but other commuters were prohibited from passing through. One driver, inside a white van, drove through the barrier and and was followed by a CHP officer who stopped the driver, said CHP officer Denise Quesada.

Investigators will be looking at the cause of the fire, which was started in steep terrain with heavy brush.

“It could be an arson situation or a bad catalytic converter” that threw sparks from the nearby road into the bush, said Brian Harris, public affairs officer for the Cleveland National Forest.
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The wildfire will be the main topic of discussion at the Yorba Linda City Council meeting at 6:30 tonight, Register staff writer Erin Welch says.

The Orange County Fire Authority, Brea Police Department and city staff will discuss what happened in Yorba Linda. Residents can attend the meeting in person in City Council chambers at 4845 Casa Loma Ave., or tune in live either on cable Channel 3 or online at www.yorba-linda.org.

Other items on the agenda include demolition permits and a vote to accept a State of Emergency declaration in Yorba Linda from the governor.

For more information, call 714-961-7100

COMPLETE FIRE COVERAGE HERE »

• TOPICS: How to help | Damage | Heroes/Your Stories
• SAFETY: Traffic | Evacuations | Shelters | Building closures
• MORE: Fire map | O.C. fire-related Twitter messages