IRVINE – After over seven hours of fighting the fire, a blaze probably sparked when a golfer chipped a rock with his club near Shady Canyon in Irvine was completely contained by 7:30 p.m., Orange County Fire Authority Captain Greg McKeown said.

Almost 200 firefighters battled the 12-acre blaze near the Shady Canyon Golf Course on Saturday, officials said.

The fire was reported at 12:07 p.m. as a hillside fire near the golf course. It burned through dense, heavy brush.

McKeown said two crews would remain throughout the night to prevent spot fires from flaring up. Another hand crew will return Sunday to mop up, he said.

At no point were the nearby multimillion-dollar homes in the gated Shady Canyon Golf Course at risk, McKeown said.

McKeown said the fire likely was sparked when a golfer – who knocked his golf ball into the grass that borders the fairway – struck a rock with his club trying to get the ball out of the rough.

Two other fires near Antonio Parkway and Ortega Highway that broke out at 12:30 p.m. were also extinguished.

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