The Norte Fire has burned about 570 acres in South Orange County, destroying homes and forcing evacuations in San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano, and firefighters had 0% containment as of Friday night.
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The fire started around 11:30 a.m. Friday near Portico Del Norte and Eminencia Del Norte in San Clemente, east of Interstate 5. Pushed by Santa Ana winds during a heat advisory, it grew from 10 acres to more than 450 in just a few hours and kept spreading into the evening, according to the Orange County Fire Authority and Cal Fire.
Orange County Fire Authority Chief T.J. McGovern said six homes have burned. Some reports from the scene put the number of damaged structures as high as eight, mostly in the area of Avenida Calita, Via La Mirada, and Via De Agua in San Juan Capistrano. Officials said the count may change as crews get a closer look. No deaths or injuries have been reported.
Evacuation orders are in place for San Juan Capistrano Zones 4, 5, and 10 and San Clemente Zones 12 and 13. Residents in those zones have been told to leave immediately. To check whether your address falls in one of those zones, use the Orange County evacuation map at ready.ocgov.com or the Genasys Protect app.
Two shelters are open for anyone who has been evacuated: the San Juan Capistrano Community Center at 25925 Camino del Avion and the San Clemente Community Center at 100 Calle Seville. San Clemente police services chief Justin Chevalier said both shelters have space and will accept small pets.
Fire officials said the Norte Fire moved so fast because of the wind and the hilly terrain, with flames running through dry grass and chaparral, the thick shrubs that cover Southern California hillsides. About 750 firefighters are now assigned to the fire, supported by helicopters and water dropping aircraft, and crews planned to work through the night. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
For many people in the neighborhood, this is new. “I’ve lived here since 1995, and this is the first time we’ve really ever had a fire in this area,” resident Robert Morris told KCBS.
The Norte Fire is one of several fires burning in Southern California during the Santa Ana wind event. Just south of San Clemente, the Henderson Fire on Camp Pendleton has burned about 2,000 acres since it started Thursday afternoon and has shut down lanes of Interstate 5 two days in a row. Firefighters had it 20% contained by Friday evening.
Officials are urging anyone near the fire zone to have a bag packed, keep their phone charged, and leave immediately if an evacuation order is issued for their area. People outside the evacuation zones should still avoid the area so emergency crews can move freely.
These numbers are changing quickly, and this post will be updated as fire officials release new information.