Powerful winds are driving a fast-moving wildfire through Southern California after flames destroyed homes in the region. At least six residences were reported burned Friday.
SANTA ANA, Calif. — A wind-driven wildfire raced through Southern California on Friday, consuming at least six homes, including costly coastal properties, and forcing thousands of people to evacuate.
Black smoke that could be seen for miles rose above tennis courts and swimming pools as firefighters battled burning homes in San Juan Capistrano, in Orange County. Before leaving under evacuation orders, some residents used garden hoses to spray down their properties.
Officials said two firefighters were hospitalized with heat-related injuries. The cause of the blaze remained unknown, and the fire covered less than one square mile by Friday evening.
“Had these winds been a little bit stronger, a little bit different direction, this could have been a whole lot worse,” San Clemente Mayor Rick Loeffler said.
Howard Hart, a San Juan Capistrano councilmember, said he and his wife soaked their roof with water and moved propane tanks away from the house before evacuating Friday with a to-go bag.
Laura Hart said she had never before been forced to evacuate because of a wildfire during the more than 50 years she has lived in the community.
“This doesn’t usually happen to us, we usually see it on the news,” she said. “We always pray to God it’s not us, but yeah, it was today.”
The Norte Fire began in the coastal city of San Clemente before strong winds pushed it toward San Juan Capistrano. Both cities opened evacuation shelters. By Friday night, approximately 16,000 people had been ordered to leave, Orange County Fire Authority Chief TJ McGovern said.
The Norte Fire was among several blazes threatening the region amid dry, warm Santa Ana winds blowing from the interior toward the coast. The most powerful gusts were forecast through Friday afternoon, while fire-dangerous conditions were expected to continue through Saturday night. The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for the Orange County and San Diego County coasts through 8 p.m. Saturday.
Tens of thousands of Californians lost power after utilities shut off electricity as a precaution. Another fire near Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton temporarily closed part of Interstate 5, a key route between Orange County and San Diego, creating commutes that were hours longer across Southern California.
Hillsides surround the two coastal communities. San Juan Capistrano, home to about 35,000 people, is known for its horse trails and historic Mission San Juan Capistrano. San Clemente has approximately 62,000 residents and is often called a “Spanish village by the sea,” drawing beachgoers and surfers.
“The fire is right up on the city,” San Clemente Councilmember Victor Cabral said. “It’s on the perimeter of our homes on the north end.”
Nine schools in San Juan Capistrano were closed Friday, according to the Capistrano Unified School District.
Smoke darkened the sky, leaving residents in nearby communities watching the fire anxiously.
Shannon Needham, who lives in Wyoming, was visiting her mother at an assisted living facility in Dana Point, just north of San Clemente, when she learned about the wildfire.
The facility’s director said two buses would be ready in case residents had to be evacuated, Needham said.
“You could hear the fire trucks, you could hear the helicopters and everything above. And it was so smoky, it was just dark smoke,” Needham said.
Power equipment has ignited some of California’s most destructive wildfires, prompting utilities in recent years to shut off electricity ahead of dry, powerful winds. More than 200,000 customers across the state had no power Friday, according to poweroutage.com.
The National Weather Service also issued a red flag warning for parts of central and Northern California through Friday morning, cautioning that any new fires could spread quickly.
Rodriguez reported from San Francisco. Associated Press writer Jaimie Ding contributed from Los Angeles.