A rapidly spreading brush fire in Southern California destroyed multimillion-dollar homes and forced thousands of residents to flee as powerful winds pushed flames through coastal Orange County.
The wind-fueled Norte Fire broke out Friday in San Clemente before advancing toward neighboring San Juan Capistrano. Warm Santa Ana winds, with gusts reaching 60 mph, helped drive the blaze across the dry landscape.
Evacuation orders were issued for roughly 16,000 people and 6,000 homes as officials warned that the fire could continue moving through the area overnight, ABC7 reported.
By Saturday morning, the Orange County Fire Authority said the Norte Fire had scorched approximately 570 acres and destroyed six large homes along the coast.
Steve Concialdi, a captain with the Orange County Fire Authority, said the strong winds made the fast-moving fire exceptionally challenging to control.
“The helicopters can only do so much,” Concialdi said. “The fixed-wing planes that drop retardant, they can only do so much.”
Hundreds of firefighters battled the flames in the hills of southern Orange County, about an hour south of Los Angeles. Two firefighters were injured and taken to the hospital, including one who experienced heat exhaustion.
Conditions improved by Saturday evening, allowing officials to lift nearly all evacuation orders. Restrictions remained in place for just one road.
Local authorities said the wind-driven Norte Fire had destroyed six coastal homes in Orange County by Saturday
The fire erupted Friday in San Clemente and spread toward San Juan Capistrano amid hot, gusty Santa Ana winds
Evacuation orders affected approximately 16,000 residents and 6,000 homes as the brush fire moved through the region
Fire officials said the Norte Fire’s wind-driven behavior made it particularly difficult to contain
Two firefighters were hospitalized after battling the blaze, with one treated for heat exhaustion
Andy Auerbach, a resident of Calle Miramar in San Juan Capistrano, described the fear and uncertainty the wildfire brought to the coastal communities.
“It’s a lot of embers that are blowing into the yard, starting little fires, and so we’re just trying to play whack-a-mole,” Auerbach told the outlet. “Any little hotspot that emerges, we’re trying to put it out.”
The Santa Ana winds that fueled the fire are known for carrying hot, dry air toward the coast. Temperatures in the area climbed into the upper 90s.
Zachary Torgesson, who had lived in his home for 16 years, evacuated and took shelter at the San Juan Capistrano Community Center.
As the flames threatened his neighborhood, Torgesson told the outlet he was “just leaving it all to God.”
Susan Kannakko, a 51-year-old resident, said the fire appeared to move toward her San Clemente home with little warning.
The Norte Fire was reported at about 11:33 a.m. Friday near Portico Del Norte in San Clemente. Investigators have not yet determined what caused it.
‘It was like out of a movie, when the spaceship comes in, and everything goes black,’ Kannakko, who lives on Calle Delgado, told the LA Times.
Residents in the Southern California enclaves described the dangerous blaze suddenly descending upon them to start the weekend
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The Santa Ana winds that caused the Norte Fire to spread through the ritzy Orange County cities reached speeds up to 60 mph
The fire broke out shortly after 11.30pm on Friday in the area of Portico Del Norte in San Clemente
Kannakko described black smoke ‘billowing in’ and seeing embers around her home.
‘We thought we were gonna lose everything,’ she told the outlet. ‘All I could see was flames left, right, and to the sky.’
One of her housemates, Luke Falanga, said the sun suddenly ‘changed color’ as the fire approached.
‘I thought it was an eclipse,’ Falanga, 30, said. ‘It was the smoke.’
Photos of the aftermath of the fire showed palm tree-lined homes now looking completely charred.
Smoke and embers rose from the ritzy properties despite firefighters’ best efforts to contain the flames.
Another local, Robert Morris, called the fire a ‘wake–up call.’
‘I’ve lived here since 1995, and this is the first time we’ve really ever had a fire in this area,’ Morris told CBS LA.
So far, the Norte Fire has burned down about 570 acres. The blaze is one of 10 wildfires that have not been contained in California
As of Saturday night, the Norte Fire was 25 percent contained. All evacuation orders, except for one road, had been lifted
However, locals can expect to see fire crews stay on site for days to ensure that a ‘rekindle’ of the blaze does not occur
Concialdi, the fire captain, told reporters Saturday morning that he expected the containment to increase ‘dramatically’ throughout the day.
As of Saturday night, the Norte Fire was 25 percent contained.
He said one of the firefighters hospitalized had been released, and described the other as doing ‘very good.’
Concialdi has noted that fire crews will remain on site for ‘a number of days’ even with the evacuation orders now lifted.
‘We don’t want a rekindle,’ Concialdi said, pointing to the Santa Ana winds.
‘Right now, because there are some embers, there are some hot spots, we don’t want those embers to then catch a palm tree or some vegetation in another area or next to homes,’ he added.
The Norte Fire is one of 10 wildfires that have not been contained in California, according to the state’s Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The closest fires are the Peak Fire, which started in Azusa, and the Bryson Fire in Malibu.