The Norte Fire, which rapidly spread across hundreds of acres straddling San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano, was reported 5% contained Saturday after burning 570 acres. The blaze, driven by fierce Santa Ana winds, destroyed or damaged several homes and prompted widespread evacuation orders for local residents.
The wildfire ignited around 11:30 a.m. Friday in the vicinity of Portico Del Norte, according to the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA). Within an hour, it had grown to 250 acres, scorching at least 465 acres by early Friday afternoon. Cal Fire confirmed the blaze had reached 570 acres by 7:27 p.m. Friday, a number that remained consistent in Saturday morning updates.
Fire crews continued working Saturday to increase containment and facilitate the safe return of residents, the OCFA stated. The wind-whipped blaze necessitated evacuation orders for multiple neighborhoods in both San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano, including streets from Camino Las Ramblas down to the San Diego (5) Freeway.
San Clemente Chief of Police Services Justin Chevalier reported that approximately 6,000 homes and 16,000 residents were under evacuation orders. Orange County Board of Supervisors Vice Chair Katrina Foley noted that the orders covered most of San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente, advising residents to evacuate if they could see the smoke and fire. By Saturday morning, some orders were lifted, allowing all evacuated San Clemente residents to return home. Partial repopulation in San Juan Capistrano was limited to the Stallion Ridge community, San Juan Hills High School, and the landfill off La Pata, as confirmed by the OCFA.
Evacuation centers were established at the San Juan Capistrano Community Center, located at 25925 Camino del Avion, and the San Clemente Community Center at 100 Calle Seville. A shelter was also set up at the Boys & Girls Club in San Juan Capistrano at 1 Via Positiva, which allowed animals and accepted residents' medications but not unsolicited donations. Orange County Animal Care in Tustin was available to shelter dogs, cats, and other small pets.
Ground crews, supported by water-dropping aircraft and additional strike teams, battled the rapidly growing conflagration. Fire activity diminished by Friday's end, with efforts focused on homes still burning. OCFA Division Three Fire Chief Mark Backhoff stated that six homes were "damaged or destroyed" by the fire, expressing sympathy for those impacted. Affected structures were primarily located in the areas of Avenida Calita, Via La Mirada, and Via De Agua in San Juan Capistrano.
Two firefighters sustained heat-related injuries. One firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion, according to Chief Backhoff, and a second sustained heat-related injuries, OCFA Capt. Greg Barta reported. Both were hospitalized, and one hospitalized firefighter was "doing good right now," OCFA Capt. Steve Concialdi later confirmed.
Captain Concialdi noted expectations for fierce winds through Saturday, but expressed hope that rain might eventually aid recovery efforts. He anticipated crews would remain on scene for several days to prevent rekindling, acknowledging disappointment over the six scorched homes while highlighting that "hundreds of thousands" of other homes were protected. The Camino Capistrano off-ramp from the northbound San Diego Freeway was closed due to the fire.
In response to the fire, the Capistrano Unified School District announced early dismissals for students at several schools, including Bernice Ayer, Clarence Lobo, Concordia, Harold Ambuehl, Palisades, San Clemente, San Juan Hills, Shorecliffs, Truman Benedict, and Vista Del Mar. To assist with suppression efforts, California secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Cal Fire announced early Saturday.
