Thousands of homes remained under threat early Tuesday as firefighters, aided by more than a dozen helicopters and six air tankers, sought to contain a wildfire that quickly spread into an Anaheim Hills neighborhood the day before, burning homes and injuring at least one person.

More than 1,000 firefighters from across the state were battling the Canyon Fire 2 in Orange County, which has now scorched 7,500 acres and is 25 percent contained.

The fire threatens 5,000 structures and has already destroyed 14 buildings and damaged 22 others, according to Anaheim Fire and Rescue. The damage assessment is ongoing.

With winds easing off and a rise in humidity, the fire was fairly inactive on the western edge overnight, said Daron Wyatt, a spokesman for Anaheim Fire and Rescue, at an early morning press conference. On Tuesday, authorities were looking to build containment lines on the eastern edge to keep the fire from spreading into the Cleveland National Forest.

Wyatt said they expected a slight improvement in the weather but nothing that could shift the fight significantly in their favor until Wednesday.

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Evacuations

More than 5,000 people were evacuated Monday night, and all mandatory evacuation orders remained in effect Tuesday:

• Anaheim: east of Serrano, north of Nohl Ranch, south of 91 freeway, west of 241 freeway.
• Orange: Orange Park Acres, Santiago Canyon Road east of Cannon
• Tustin: Jamboree and Tustin Ranch Road (north of Pioneer)

You can view a map of the evacuation areas here.

Officials have set up two reception centers for evacuees, one at Katella High School in Anaheim and the other at El Modena High School in Orange. Anyone with large animals was instructed to take them to the Los Alamitos racetrack. Wyatt said officials would consider opening more evacuation centers if the need arose.

Officials said at a Tuesday morning press conference that officials are evaluating the evacuation areas and may allow some people to return to their homes Tuesday evening.

About 20 people spent the night at El Modena High, where they were served a breakfast of coffee, doughnuts and fruit.

One of those evacuees was Alice Santos, who slept on one of the cots set up in the gymnasium. Santos told KPCC she lives across from Irvine Regional Park near Santiago Canyon College, an area with quite a few homes abutting wildlands.

Santos said the fire moved quickly through the open space behind her house — between when the police knocked on her door and told her she had to evacuate and when she headed out the door. She said she didn't get much sleep.

The evacuation center at Katella High School reportedly had even fewer overnight guests. Many of those forced to leave their homes may have stayed with family or friends or in hotels rather than sleep in a gym, though Wyatt said he had received some reports of people refusing to heed evacuation orders.

Wyatt urged all residents in evacuation zones to clear the area and not attempt to return until notified it was safe.

"We need you to heed the warnings. We understand that you want to stay in your homes, but you make it more difficult for the firefighters," Wyatt said. "They need to be able to get in there, they need to be able to provide for the safety of themselves and the other people fighting the fire, and having people in the evacuation zone just makes it more difficult for us to do our jobs."

Residents are not expected to receive clearance to go home until at least Wednesday.

Officials are offering several resident information hotlines:

• Anaheim: (714) 765-4333
• Irvine: (949) 724-7000
• Orange County: (714) 628-7085
• Orange PD: (714) 744-7550
• Tustin: (714) 628-7085

Road Closures

Donations

The evacuation shelters and firefighters currently have everything they need to combat the fire and aid those affected. Anaheim Fire and Rescue will let the public know if they need any more donations.

The Red Cross shelters set up at Katella High School in Anaheim and the other at El Modena High School in Orange and the OC Fire Department are not accepting donations.

People can also contribute financially to the American Red Cross, which is helping with relief efforts in various wildfires in California. A horseback riding instructor at the Peacock Hill Equestrian Center at Irvine Park has also set up an online fundraiser for Serrano Creek Ranch evacuees.