Laguna Niguel residents survey multi-million dollar mansions reduced to rubble by wildfire 

Devastated residents returned to what’s left of their multi-million dollar homes less than 24 hours after a wildfire ripped through the community of Laguna Niguel. 

Heartbreaking images captured the residents in the first steps of trying to rebuild their lives.  

The grim before and after photos reveal just how devastating a Wednesday night California  wildfire was. At least 20 multi-million dollar mansions were reduced to rubble in just a matter of hours.

The Coastal Fire, which began on Wednesday afternoon near a water treatment facility in Aliso Woods Canyon, has destroyed 20 homes and damaged another 11 according to the Orange County Fire Department.

550 firefighters, some from as far away as San Diego and Long Beach, have been fighting the flames while 900 homes in the area have been evacuated. When DailyMail.com visited on Thursday, most of the fire had been put out in the Coronado Point neighborhood but flames could still be seen licking up the other side of Seaview canyon on which the community sits.

More than 24 hours after the outbreak, the blaze is only 15% contained, according Orange County Fire Authority division chief Shane Sherwood, who spoke at press conference on Thursday night.

Darian posted a video on Facebook showing his father watching the fire burn in the valley below his home, not long after the family was evacuated

Matthew Vogel, 39, in front of his parents home, where he grew up, in the Coronado Pointe neighborhood. It was completely destroyed the previous night

‘We didn’t think our house was going to burn.’ Sandy Vogel raised her family in this home in the Coronado Pointe neighborhood, but it was completely destroyed, save for a bird house from the front yard tree. Vogel said that she learned her home was after seeing it burn on the news

Ritz Sherman, left, comforts distraught neighbor Zoey Carpenter. Both did not lose their homes but very emotional after seeing destruction on their home street Coronado Pointe

Sassan Darian, 38, sat on a curb watching firefighters douse the remains of his father’s five-bedroom home and recounted how he, his daughter and his father fled as winds blasted flames toward them and embers fell on them and around them.

‘The sky, everything was orange. It looked like an inferno, so we just jumped in the car,’ he said. ‘My daughter said, ‘We’re on fire.’ There were sparks on her and we were patting ourselves down.’

Darian earlier posted videos on his Facebook page showing his father looking down as the fire began in the valley beneath his father’s home.  

The day after the fire, Darian posted a photo of his father’s burned down house. He wrote in the caption: ‘My old friends from back in the day – remember the crazy party I had here when we were youngins?’  

After being evacuated, Darian wrote on Facebook: ‘That was too close for comfort. I got live embers on my clothes when we evacuated.’ 

Orange County resident and former mayor of Laguna Niguel Fred Minager described the scene as being ‘like a war zone,’ in an interview with Fox11.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Sandy Vogel said that she lived in her Coronado Pointe neighborhood for three decades. The bird house pictured above had been part of their home for 20 years. 

Vogel told the Times: ‘We didn’t think our house was going to burn, but the winds were so strong yesterday that once the fire came up the hill there was no stopping it. We didn’t know the house had burned until we saw it on the news.’

When asked if she would remain in the community following the destruction, Vogel said: ‘We’ll rebuild and we’ll see if we want to stay here. Maybe it’ll be too hard.’ 

According to Zillow, Vogel’s home was valued at over $3 million.  

Firefighters from across the region battled the blaze through the night from the air and ground

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help Keith and Lynn Morey (pictured here) to rebuild their home. Lynn Morey is holding portrait of her and her husband that was recovered by a firefighter after homes were destroyed by the Coastal Fire

 A resident’s family member walks past a burned barely recognizable Porsche outside one of the many destroyed homes in Laguna Niguel

One man, Andreas Frank, who lost his home told CBS News: ‘It’s so random because just behind us, our friend’ home is safe, but on either side it’s destroyed.’

Mandatory evacuations remain in place through May 12, officials said at a news conference. Orange County Sheriff’s Department Captain Virgil Asuncion said: ‘We will repopulate when it is safe to do so, and allows fire personnel to prevent fire from spreading any further.’  

A resident of a nearby road who asked not to give his name told of the fire’s astonishing speed, telling DailyMail.com that it exploded into life and consumed 20 expensive homes in less than two hours.

He said: ‘The speed of the fire was shocking – the homes were on fire within two hours. I was driving home at 4pm and they were all on fire by 5.30.’

The fire is now thought to have been sparked by power lines with power company Edison saying it detected ‘circuit activity occurring close in time to the reported time of the fire’.

Strong winds from the Pacific fanned the flames which roared through Seaview Park and over the Aliso Summit Trail before slamming into upscale Coronado Pointe.  

The cause of the fire is still under investigation, but not long after the outbreak the local electricity company revealed that there was ‘circuit activity occurring close in time to the reported time of the fire,’ as residents say power went out before the flames erupted.

One resident of the area told ABC7 that her power went out moments before she first heard emergency service sirens.   

A lone woman rolling a suitcase in her devastated community in Laguna Niguel

In 2021, the Public Utilities Commission in California issued half a billion in fines to Southern California Edison following wildfires in 2017 and 2018 for which they were deemed responsible

The fire continued to burn through the night and more than 24 hours after, officials said that the blaze was only 15% contained

Residents talk on their cell phones as they walk past a fire-damaged property in the aftermath of the Coastal Fire

Mandatory evacuations remain in place through May 12, officials said at a news conference. Orange County Sheriff’s Department Captain Virgil Asuncion said: ‘We will repopulate when it is safe to do so, and allows fire personnel to prevent fire from spreading any further’

Paul Dumanoir, center in blue, and his wife Elizabeth walk along a fire road where the Coastal Fire jumped and proceeded to engulf homes in Laguna Niguel

Orange County resident Fred Minager and former mayor of Laguna Niguel described the scene as being ‘like a war zone,’ in an interview with Fox11

Resident Abi Farsoni told NBC Los Angeles: ‘I saw flashes of fires just coming in my house and that’s the time I left with my wife. It’s horrible for residents. You don’t know if your home is still there. We don’t know. I have a lot of things. I didn’t have time to take them’

OCFA Assistant Fire Chief TJ McGovern told the media as his crews battled the fire: ‘We want to thank the citizens of the community with their rapid evacuations’

Firefighters battled through the night against the thick and dry brush that helped the fire to spread

So far, two firefighters have been hospitalized following a more than day long battle with the blaze

Zillow estimates that homes in the Laguna Niguel section can go for anywhere between $2.6 and $10 million

Members of the Torrance Fire Dept, from left, Brent Nunez, Michael Cotter and Rick Cathey protect the remains of a fire-damaged home in the aftermath of the Coastal Fire

Another car is left charred outside of a home in Laguna Niguel 

One resident Abi Forsoni described the scene as he was told evacuate, telling NBC Los Angeles: ‘I saw flashes of fires just coming in my house and that’s the time I left with my wife. It’s horrible for residents. You don’t know if your home is still there. We don’t know. I have a lot of things. I didn’t have time to take them.’

Fortunately for Forsoni his home was still standing. 

During the evacuation, resident Carson Williams told the NBA affiliate: ‘The entire street is chaotic, right now.’ 

‘It takes your breath away,’ Julianna Shapiro, 52, told the LA Times as she watched her community burn. ‘It’s just so hard to watch, but I can’t help not watch it. It’s our neighbors losing their homes. You feel so hopeless.’ 

Firefighters continued to monitor potential hot spots throughout the area where the fire have been put out

Laguna Niguel Chief of Police told the media: ‘We know we’ve lost some homes. This is devastating and has major impacts to our entire community’

Orange County Supervisor Lisa Bartlett  told the media: ‘We have the entire region focused on this fire right now to make sure we have every fire engine available in the area to put this fire out’

Orange County Fire Authority Chief Brian Fennessy told the media: ‘Unfortunately, I think this is what we’re going to be experiencing over the next several weeks and years. The vegetation is so dry it is not taking much for the fire to take off running and burn very quickly’

A total of 900 people were under evacuation orders due to the blaze

Smoke lingers at one of over 20 homes destroyed by the Coastal Fire 

One report said that firefighters reported hearing ammunition exploding from inside one of the burning homes

Homeowner Andreas Frank told CBS Los Angeles: It’s so random because just behind us, our friend’ home is safe, but on either side it’s destroyed’

The remains of a Porsche and the devastating effects of the Coastal Fire. Another resident said that his Tesla was destroyed in the blaze

According to OCFA Assistant Fire Chief TJ McGovern, the one of the  injured firefighters ‘was on the line, that firefighter was assessed and taken to a local hospital pending further evaluation.’

OCFA Capt. Jeff Christiansen said that his crews spent much of the first night monitoring for hot spots in the residential areas where the fire had struck 

The gutted remnants of a home in Laguna Niguel

Lynn and Keith Morey’s five-bedroom, four-and-a-half bathroom home with a two story library and office burned to the ground, less than one year after the couple lost their business to another fire.

They had left the home earlier in the morning, ABC7 reports, and they did not have time to grab any of their belongings. As a result, Lynn lost the only photos she had left of her sister, who had passed away four years earlier.

‘I’m more in shock than anything else,’ Lynn said Wednesday night.

A GoFundMe has now been set to help the couple rebuild. It was then shared on Facebook, by Lynne’s niece, Heather Balaban, who wrote: ‘My aunt Lynn and her husband Keith are the sweetest, most giving people I know.

‘Their mission in life is [to] help heal others,’ she explained, noting: ‘They invite people in their home to stay with them all the time.

‘Unfortunately, last night their home burnt to the ground, and they had no time to grab any of their belongings because they were evacuated in Laguna Niguel.’

As of 1.30pm EST on Thursday, the online fundraiser had raised $1,550 from seven donors to help the family.

Keith Morey told NBC Los Angeles that his Tesla was in their home’s garage when the fire began. Neither him nor his wife were home when the fire made its approach to their community. 

A resident of a nearby road who asked not to give his name told of the fire’s astonishing speed, telling DailyMail.com that it exploded into life and consumed 20 expensive homes in less than two hours

One resident from Laguna Niguel told ABC7 that her power went out moments before she heard firefighter sirens

Laguna Beach High School, famed for its role in the MTV reality series ‘Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County,’ was evacuated as the fire broke out

 

Hundreds of people were forced to evacuate from their homes in the area of Coronado Pointe, Vista Courte, Pacific Island Drive, Via Las Rosa, and the Ranch Golf Course and Resort at around 4pm. Sheriff’s deputies ran between each house to tell people to leave.

But Kevin Kothlow said he decided to stay, as he has fire fighting experience. He told the LA Times how he walked down a trail and watched as the fire spread.

‘It literally just ran up the hill,’ he said. ‘I saw it hit the palm trees and as soon as I saw that I knew those houses were gone. You could see the embers blowing through the air.’

Among those evacuated were Cheryl Flohr and her husband Mark, whose 48,500-square-foot home is in Palmea, the neighborhood next to the badly damaged Coronado Pointe.

‘Fred Minagar immediately engaged and drove up and down the streets honking letting residents know,’ Cheryl Flohr told The Orange County Register.

‘They were so ready for us. I’m proud of my community and Laguna Niguel.’ Mark Flohr told the paper he knew there was a fire when he heard aircraft overhead and then saw smoke.

Then he drove over to a vacant area overlooking the steep canyons above The Ranch resort in Laguna Beach and saw the flames. Not long after, the couple got a knock on the door asking them to evacuate.

Using a list they created more than a decade ago, they carried out what was important to them – photo albums, hard drives, devices and charging cords plus irreplaceable personal items.

‘I brought a glass doll head my mother played with 100 years ago,’ said Cheryl.

Mark brought some old engineering tools and century-old books. The couple planned to stay with friends and family on Wednesday night.

‘We came here first because we wanted to be where the information was,’ Cheryl said.

Meteorologist Bill South from the National Weather Service told CNN: ‘It’s way to early’ for a fire such as this.

‘It takes your breath away,’ Julianna Shapiro, 52, told the LA Times as she watched her community burn. ‘It’s just so hard to watch, but I can’t help not watch it. It’s our neighbors losing their homes. You feel so hopeless’

According to the US Drough Monitor, California is covered by 60% ‘extreme drought’

The National Weather Service says that Los Angeles is off to is third driest start to the year on record

Assistant Fire Chief TJ McGovern told the media during the May 12 conference: ‘We did have wind, which is a normal wind condition for this area. Since it started at the bottom of the drainage, it started running up-canyon and upslope. Throwing some wind on that, and the terrain — the steepness of it, was a bad recipe’

A helicopter drops water as it assists firefighters battling the Coastal Fire on a hillside

The fire was aided in spreading by ocean winds which aided it in tearing through the dry brush

The Coastal Fire accelerated through the overgrown and dry shrubs on a mix of public and private lands in the slopes around Laguna Niguel

Winds continued to push the smoke southern and eastern long the Orange and Los Angeles County coasts

A lone firefighter sprays water on a canyon hillside

Fire crews and local residents alike assess the damage

A spokesperson for the Southern California Con Edison, David Song, said: ‘Our thoughts are with the community members whose homes have been damaged and those who were evacuated because of the Coastal fire, and we’re coordinating with fire agencies as needed to ensure firefighter safety.’

Song added: ‘Our top priority is the safety of customers, employees and communities, which is why we continue to enhance our wildfire mitigation efforts through grid hardening, situational awareness and enhanced operational practices.’   

The blaze quickly reached the gated community at Coronado Pointe – where properties sell for between $1million and $10million – and the 30300 block of La Vue near the Summit Trail. 

It then ripped across the area and began looming over homes on Coronado Pointe. As the first homes began to burn, the embers were cast into neighboring homes, causing a devastating domino effect.

At least 20 homes in the exclusive enclave have already been engulfed by the fire and a further 100 were potentially in the wildfire’s path, Orange County Sheriff’s Capt. Virgil Asuncion said. Nine hundred homes remained under evacuation orders Thursday morning as flames continued to ignite.

A state of emergency has now been declared, as the Coastal Fire consumed nearly 200 acres and firefighters continued to fight the flames.  There is no word on how much of the fire has already been contained.

But at least one firefighter suffered a medical emergency as he battled the flames, officials announced on Thursday, and was brought to the hospital. He is in stable condition.

Meanwhile, photos show that one seven-bedroom, eight-bathroom home, which was listed for sale on Zillow for $9.89 million was completely gutted in the aftermath.

The seven-bedroom house at 5 Vista Court in Laguna Niguel, California was listed for sale on Zillow for nearly $10 million before it was completely gutted in the Coastal Fire Wednesday night

The home boasted seven-bedrooms and eight bathrooms, with a separate ‘children’s wing’ and another ‘wellness wing’ for a meditation room, gym, Pilates studio, sauna and steam room

The mansion also included its own pool in the backyard overlooking the California mansions on one side and Laguna Beach on the other

The Coastal Fire tore through the wealthy Coronado Pointe neighborhood on Wednesday night

Some homes continued to burn into Thursday morning, even after firefighters spent the night trying to quell the blaze

An aerial photo reveals just how devastating the fire was for the exclusive Laguna Niguel community

The 10,000 square foot home at 5 Vista Court in Laguna Niguel, California had boasted its own ‘children’s wing’ with a game room and study room, as well as a two-story bedroom and a ‘wellness wing to house your meditation room, gym and very own Pilates studio with sauna and steam room.’

It also included a separate outdoor pool overlooking the California mountains and Laguna Beach, as well as a four-car garage and a home theater.

Property records show that it is currently owned by a shell corporation, which purchased the luxurious mansion for $6.275 million in September 2020.

Firefighters were seen still trying to quell the flames at the mansion early Thursday morning. 

Another $6.6 million four-bedroom, seven bathroom mansion at 35 Coronado Pointe had also lost its roof entirely to flames as firefighters battled to save the walls and neighboring properties.

Explosions were heard coming from one home – believed to be the sound of ammunition detonating.

Multimillion dollar mansions went up in flames in California on Wednesday as a fast-moving brush fire engulfed luxury properties overlooking the Pacific

The fire ripped across the area and began looming over homes on Coronado Pointe. By 11pm the blaze had consumed around 200 acres with zero containment. Pictured: A house is reduced to rubble by the Coastal Fire in Laguna Niguel, California, on Wednesday

Houses are set on fire by the Coastal Fire in Laguna Niguel, California, on Wednesday

A house can be seen on fire in the background after a wind-driven wildfire broke out on Wednesday near Laguna Niguel

Smoke warnings remained in effect on Thursday as firefighters continued to battle the devastating blaze

It remains unclear exactly how many homes were destroyed as of Thursday morning, when assessment teams were entering the area. 

Smoke warnings remained in effect, and firefighters will likely remain on the scene through Friday, with Michelle Summers telling DailyMail.com her husband, who is a captain with the Ocean County Fire Association, ‘it’s the worst he’s ever been on and he’s got over 30 years.’

Laguna Beach has been home over the years to famous faces including Diane Keaton, Bette Midler screenwriter and producer Ryan Murphy, and Hollywood’s Golden Age star, Bette Davis.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has now approved federal funding to combat the growing fire.

‘This support will ensure that state and local authorities have the resources they need to continue addressing this emergency to save lives and homes in our community,’ Rep. Michelle Steel tweeted on Thursday.

California firefighters battle a home on fire in Laguna Niguel as the wildfire spread in Laguna Niguel

A building is entirely destroyed in the blaze, that ripped through the region, sparked just before 3pm

Firefighters douse the hillside with retardant sprays to try and put the fire out on Wednesday

A mansion and a car are seen destroyed by the raging wildfire in Laguna Niguel on Wednesday 

Smoke is seen rising from the Coastal Fire which ignited near a water treatment facility between Laguna Niguel and Laguna Beach at 2.44pm local time

A fire truck is seen at the scene of the fire. Water-dropping helicopters are being used to try and fight the fire

A firefighter can be seen in front of a burning house after a wind-driven wildfire broke out in Laguna Niguel 

Smoke can be seen rising on Wednesday afternoon as helicopters are used to try and bring the fire under control

Sara Nuss-Galles also told DailyMail.com she and her husband, as well as their cats, are staying with friends a few miles from their home after they were forced to evacuate.

They were able to grab important papers, passports, medications, toiletries and clothes, she said, as they keep a list of items they would need in case of an evacuation on their refrigerator. 

Her house is now blocked off from traffic, she said, ‘but apparently apart from ash, smoke and embers, the street is OK.’

Most of the destruction, she said, was just about a quarter mile away from where she and her husband live, and they ‘often walk on the ridge where so many houses burned.

‘It’s a beautiful hike and outlook,’ Nuss-Galles said of the area, adding that the situation is ‘heartbreaking for the people [who] live there.’  

She said she is just grateful ‘for the amazing firefighters themselves staying and keeping us all safe.’

Residents near Moulton Meadows and Balbo Nyes were also advised to be prepared to evacuate at a moment’s notice, but the warning was lifted before 10pm as officials said there is no immediate threat to the area.

Laguna Beach high school had also been evacuated, and shelters have been set up in the area.

A $6.6 million home, 35 Coronado Pointe, is seen on fire as the blaze sweeps inland from the coast

The $6.6 million mansion at 35 Coronado Pointe was badly damaged by the fire

A firefighter walks past a mansion on fire caused by the Coastal Fire in Laguna Niguel on Wednesday night 

A firefighter is pictured dousing the flames on Wednesday night in Laguna Niguel, Orange County, California

A firefighter on Wednesday night works to put out the blaze in Laguna Niguel, above Laguna Beach

Laguna Niguel is home to 65,000 people, with the average home valued at $863,000 according to the most recent census

A house and a car are destroyed by the Coastal Fire in Laguna Niguel in California on Wednesday. Around 200 acres have been destroyed by the fire

Firefighters work to put out a house fire caused by the Coastal Fire in Laguna Niguel, California, on Wednesday

Multimillion dollar mansions went up in flames as the Coastal Fire ripped through on Wednesday afternoon

The affluent area is known for its hiking trails and spectacular views down to the Pacific Ocean

The fire spread quickly because wind had driven up embers into palm trees, attics and dense, dry brush on slopes and steep canyons that hadn’t burned for decades, said Britain Fennessy, chief of the Orange County Fire Authority.

Fennessy said climate change has made even small fires that once would have been easily contained into extreme threats to life and property throughout the West.

Fennessy told ABC 7 LA TV his team was trying to save as many homes as they could. ‘It’s all about defending the homes that have not already burned,’ Fennessy said from the scene.

‘The firefighters behind me are really putting on an aggressive fight.’ Fennessy said at a press conference on Wednesday night he expected winds to die down after sunset, which would help slow the spread.

He said there were no other major fires in Southern California, enabling firefighters from the area to concentrate their resources on Laguna Niguel.

The hilltop city of about 65,000 people is just inland from the coastal city of Laguna Beach about 50 miles south of Los Angeles.

Dry brush covers the surrounding hills and canyons, as California experiences historic drought. 

Hoses are dragged to the scene in an attempt to extinguish the flames engulfing multimillion dollar homes

Strong winds fanned the flames, which ripped up from the brush in the valley below

A firefighter puts his hands on his hips and dips his head at the sheer scale of the wildfire which has destroyed dozens of houses in Laguna Niguel on Wednesday 

Firefighters were trying on Wednesday night to contain the Coastal Fire and save as many homes as they could

Firefighters work to put out a structure burning during a wildfire in California on Wednesday

The front of a house set on fire by the Coastal Fire collapses in Laguna Niguel, California, on Wednesday

‘Unfortunately I think this is what we’re going to be experiencing over the next several weeks and years,’ said Fennessy. The vegetation is so dry it is not taking much for the fire to take off running and burn very quickly.’ 

Mike Garcia, the Laguna Beach fire chief, said: ‘It was a wind-driven fire. And since it started around 3pm on Wednesday it’s gone eastward.

‘It’s becoming a pretty big fire, burning several homes in the city of Laguna Niguel. I want to tell our community that the city of Laguna Beach is safe. We don’t expect any changes. 

‘But we want all of our residents to remain vigilant, be prepared, be aware.’ He said they would notify residents of any changes, but people should be prepared to ‘react quickly’.

Ground and air crews from the Orange County Fire Authority and Laguna Beach Fire Department were working to extinguish flames moving uphill through light and moderately dense vegetation.

Winds gusting up to 20 mph were fanning the flames, and relative humidity in the area was measured at 52 percent, said Mark Moede, from the National Weather Service.

‘Gusts were up to 25 mph when the fire started,’ Moede said at about 5pm. ‘It will stay breezy for the next hour or so, but should drop-off as the sun drops below the horizon.’

The last major fire in the area was the Emerald fire on February 24. The earlier fire grew to about 150 acres before it was extinguished. The first three months of 2022 have been the driest on record.  

The mansions lining the canyon sell for upwards of $1 million, with several reaching in excess of $6 million

Flames are seen engulfing a mansion as a result of the Coastal Fire in Laguna Niguel on Wednesday

Firefighter Nick Cerciello of Costa Mesa Fire Department battles back the flames

5 Firefighters look on as they work at putting down fires set alight by the Coastal Fire in Laguna Niguel on Wednesday

A firefighter walks down the street whilst talking on his radio as houses burn and collapse as a result of the wildfire

Gavin Newsom, the governor of California, responded on Tuesday by pledging to spend $100 million on a statewide advertising campaign to encourage water conservation. 

The campaign will include traditional radio and television spots while also paying people with large followings on social media to urge others to save water. 

He also promised to spend an $211 million to conserve more water in state government buildings by replacing plumbing fixtures and irrigation controls.

In Los Angeles – the second most populous city in the U.S. – Mayor Eric Garcetti said residents and businesses would have to reduce outdoor landscape watering from three days per week to two. 

Irrigation makes up 35 percent of the city’s water use.

Urban water use accounts for a relatively small percentage of California’s overall water use when compared to agriculture. But the state’s farmers have been suffering, too, as state and federal officials have reduced water allocations to zero in some places.

Demand for non-agriculture water is typically low in March, which comes near the end of the state’s rainy season. It can sometimes rain so much in March that it makes up for the rest of the year, a phenomenon officials have dubbed the ‘March miracle.’

But California got just 1 inch of precipitation in March while the temperatures were 3 degrees warmer than usual, further increasing water demand.

A series of April storms have improved things slightly since March. 

Still, most of the state’s reservoirs are well below their historic averages. 

The reservoirs depend on melted snow from the Sierra Nevada to replenish them for the dry summer months. But the statewide snowpack was at just 27 percent of its historic average as of April 1.

‘This is what we have. This is what we’re going to get. We can’t expect anything significant past this date,’ said Jeanine Jones, manager for interstate resources with the California Department of Water Resources.

State officials said 20 percent of the wells they monitor are reporting all-time low water levels, while nearly half of them have less than 10 percent of their historic averages. 

In some cases, the state is helping to haul water to small communities that don’t have access to it. State officials said they were assisting 687 households through a small community drought relief program.

Some larger communities were also in danger. Lindsay, a city of about 13,000 people in California’s Central Valley, was projected to run out of water on July 1. 

Federal officials approved an additional allocation for the city, which they now say will have enough water to last through February – provided they continue to conserve.