A wildfire that erupted Friday in an area straddling San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano, damaging or destroying at least six homes and prompting thousands of evacuations, is now 5% contained, Orange County Fire Authority officials said.
Firefighters worked through the night to suppress the Norte fire, strengthen containment lines and extinguish hot spots, the OCFA said in a Saturday morning update.
Containment – the area beyond which the fire is not expected to expand – is expected to grow “dramatically” on Saturday, OCFA spokesperson Steve Concialdi said.
On Saturday morning, Santa Ana winds were 10 to 15 mph, with stronger gusts, as hundreds of firefighters worked to keep the blaze in its current footprint.
The fire has scorched 570 acres. Some 6,000 homes and 16,000 residents remain under evacuation orders, officials said.
See an interactive evacuation map here.
John Zehren was evacuated twice Friday – first while he was surfing at Camp Pendleton because of a different fire near the base. When he went home to San Juan Capistrano, he got a text to evacuate his house.
Wearing a t-shirt with “California dreaming” on the front and “San Juan Capistrano” on the back on Saturday morning, he surveyed the damage for a friend who lives on Via La Mirada, a street where several homes were ravaged by the Norte fire.
He was able to get through the road barriers on a small white e-bike. The house he was checking on was still standing. Zehren relayed his friend’s reaction: “I can’t believe it. Thank God.”
Other homeowners were not so fortunate, as several homes near Patriots Hill were damaged or destroyed.
Patriots Hill, also known as Flag Hill, is a popular scenic and hiking spot on the border of San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente. An American flag has long been planted there.
“What’s amazing,” Zehren said, surveying the hill and its extensive fire scar, “is everything burned – except the flag.”
The Norte fire was reported around 11:30 a.m. on Friday in the 3000 block of Eminencia del Norte in San Clemente, according to Watch Duty. Fueled by strong Santa Ana winds, it initially grew to about 10 acres before expanding to an estimated 50 to 70 acres by 12:20 p.m. The fire spread throughout the day, and by Friday evening it exploded to 570 acres.
The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.
This is a developing story. Please check back for more throughout the day.
California pre-positioned firefighters and other resources in Orange County ahead of Norte fire