'Please Pray': Rick Warren Reports 'Intentional' Brushfire Reaches Saddleback Church
Pastor and author Rick Warren asked for prayers Sunday evening as an “intentional” brushfire spread toward Saddleback Church’s main campus in Lake Forest, California.
“Please pray,” wrote Warren, who retired from the pastorate in 2022. “[Two] acres of Saddleback Church have already been consumed by wildfire as of this moment. It’s our main campus (out of 20) in Lake Forest. A few weeks ago, we had a week of wildfires in our backyard, now this. So far, no buildings have been in danger. The Lake Forest campus is 120 acres — about half is our parking lots.”
It appears the fire began around 1 p.m. local time somewhere near the Portola and Rancho Parkways and quickly spread to nearby areas. Thankfully, the Orange County Fire Authority acted quickly to contain the fire within about 45 minutes, according to video from SoCal PD Media.
It’s important to note the scope of the fire is not exactly clear. While Warren said the fire “consumed” two acres of Saddleback’s property, the OCFA described the two-acre blaze as “near” the church. CBN News reached out to Warren for a statement.
While there are still conflicting reports about what exactly started the blaze, The Orange County Register reported Sunday evening that investigators determined the brushfire was intentionally ignited.
“After a thorough scene examination,” OCFA announced via X, “the cause was determined to be intentional, and one suspect is in custody with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.”
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Thankfully, it appears no people or structures were harmed by the blaze. Please be in prayer for the individual now in custody for starting the fire.
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