Norte Fire Burns Homes, Forces Evacuations in Orange County
The wind-driven blaze broke out Friday morning near San Clemente and grew to 465 acres in a few hours. Six homes were destroyed or damaged, and evacuation orders covered five zones.
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A fast-moving wildfire burned through hundreds of acres in Orange County on Friday, destroying or damaging six homes and forcing thousands of residents to evacuate.
The Norte Fire broke out just after 11:30 a.m. near Portico Del Norte, between San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano, according to the Orange County Fire Authority.
Fierce Santa Ana winds drove the fire from about 50 acres around noon to 250 acres by early afternoon. By late afternoon, Cal Fire put the size at 465 acres.
Six homes were destroyed or damaged, most believed to be in San Juan Capistrano, the fire authority said Friday evening. Aerial video showed flames tearing through roofs. Officials cautioned the count could rise.
Five zones in San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano were under evacuation orders, with warnings in surrounding areas. Shelters opened at community centers in both cities, and a stretch of the northbound 5 Freeway closed as flames neared the road.
One firefighter suffered heat exhaustion. No other injuries were immediately reported.
“A majority of the fire has been knocked down,” Orange County Fire Authority spokesman Steve Concialdi said at a Friday evening news conference. “However, we still have some homes that have been impacted here, and as you can see, the wind is still blowing pretty strong up here.”
The Norte Fire is one of several that broke out Thursday and Friday amid the windstorm across Southern California. Near Malibu, the Bryson Fire had burned 147 acres and put thousands of structures at risk, Los Angeles County officials said Friday.
Red flag warnings for strong winds, low humidity and dry brush are in effect across parts of Southern California through Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.
