Rancho Palos Verdes Fire Evacs Over

Rancho Palos Verdes (myFOXla.com) - Firefighters moved closer Friday to completely containing a wildfire that had threatened multimillion-dollar homes in Rancho Palos Verdes, and evacuation orders were lifted for more than 1,000 residents who were told to scramble for safety.

The blaze broke out just before 8 p.m. Thursday around Ocean Trails and Palos Verdes drives. By late afternoon, the fire had scorched about 230 acres and was 90 percent contained, said fire Inspector Frederic Stowers.

The fire had initially threatened hundreds of homes in the nearby Rolling Hills area, prompting a sweeping evacuation order, but that order was lifted by late Friday morning. Residents were allowed back into their homes, as long as they had valid identification.

About 300 firefighters battled the blaze. At the height of the fire, crews from the Los Angeles County and city fire departments, along with firefighters from Long Beach, Compton, Torrance, Redondo, Downey, Compton and Vernon and five fire-retardant helicopters were deployed.

The fire slightly damaged the exteriors of six homes and destroyed a gazebo and an outbuilding, said John Tripp, the fire department's chief deputy of emergency operations.

Tripp said the fire started near Palos Verdes Drive South. Some power outages were reported in the area, but crews were working on the problem, Tripp said. The cause of the fire remained under investigation.

Shortly after it broke out, the fire quickly spread over more than 75 acres, drawing hundreds of firefighters to the scene. Helicopter aerial drops -- usually restricted to daylight hours -- continued throughout much of the evening as fire crews fought to protect neighborhoods.

An evacuation center was set up at Palos Verdes Peninsula High School at 27118 Silver Spur Drive in Rolling Hills Estates, and residents were allowed to bring horses and large animals to the Ernie J. Howlett Park at 25851 Hawthorne Blvd. in Rolling Hills Estates.