CALIFORNIA ? A Southern California wildfire driven by Santa Ana winds ate through 1,200 acres of wilderness Monday near Orange County suburbs, forcing evacuation of 1,500 homes.

The dwellings, in Anaheim and the city of Orange bordering Cleveland National Forest, were protected by fire crews and there were no reports of damage by midafternoon, said Orange County Fire Authority spokesman Dennis Shell.

“The ash was coming down like snow, I had all the windows and door shut because it was just overwhelming,” said Kathie Scott, who was told by a firefighter to evacuate her Mayberry Ranch home. She got out with two dogs but had to leave behind a cat and two guinea pigs.

Red flag warnings for critical fire danger were posted for much of the region, from Santa Barbara County south to the U.S.-Mexico border.