California Wildfires Burn Coastal Homes, Force Thousands to Evacuate

Firefighters are racing to control multiple wildfires across Southern California, fueled by strong Santa Ana winds, low humidity, and unseasonably high temperatures.

The Norte fire in Orange County grew quickly on Friday afternoon, prompting thousands of residents to evacuate. The Orange County Fire Authority reported the Norte fire scorched about 465 acres (188 hectares) and impacted at least four homes in the affluent San Juan Capistrano municipality. Other reports indicate at least six homes were damaged or destroyed.

The fire started in the coastal city of San Clemente and was driven by wind into San Juan Capistrano. Mandatory evacuation orders were issued for San Clemente zones SCL12 and SCL13, and San Juan Capistrano zones SJC04, SJC05, SJC10, affecting nearly 16,000 people in the evacuation zone. More than 500 firefighters are battling the blaze, with one firefighter suffering mild heat exhaustion.

The Norte Fire remained at 0 percent containment Friday afternoon, and its cause is still under investigation. Wind gusts of up to 50-70 miles per hour were recorded in the mountains, with coastal and valley areas seeing gusts between 35 and 55 miles per hour. Authorities turned off electricity supply to reduce the risk of electrical sparks, leaving 70,000 residents in Los Angeles and Ventura counties without power.

The Henderson Fire at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton was 2,080 acres, leading to the closure of Interstate 5 for over four hours and Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner line. US Rep. Mike Levin, D-Calif., whose home in San Juan Capistrano was under mandatory evacuation, thanked firefighters for saving his neighborhood.