San Diego Gas & Electric equipment experienced an outage near the origin of the Norte fire in San Clemente two minutes before the blaze broke out, according to an online post on the company’s website on Friday.
The utility on Saturday confirmed the outage via email but gave no details, such as the time, the circuit and the exact location.
However, the online post, captured on a screen grab, shows that SDG&E distribution line Circuit 197 sustained an outage at 11:31 a.m. close to the ignition site of the wind-whipped fire that damaged or destroyed at least six homes and forced the evacuation of thousands of residents on Friday, October 16.
The blaze was first reported at 11:33 a.m. in the area of Portico Del Norte in San Clemente, the Orange County Fire Authority posted Friday on X. That was just after the outage, affecting 496 customers.
“Based on what we’re seeing, it’s very consistent with the probability that their equipment was related to the ignition of the fire,” said Newport Beach lawyer Richard Bridgford, who specializes in wildfire cases and supplied the screen shot from SDG&E’s website. “The stars are aligned with what we’ve seen in prior utility-caused fires.”
The official cause of the fire is under investigation.
Bridgford is one of the lead attorneys suing Southern California Edison, whose equipment triggered the 2025 Eaton fire that devastated Altadena and claimed 19 lives. He also successfully sued SCE for the 2022 Coastal fire that destroyed 20 homes in south Orange County.
The last time San Diego Gas & Electric sparked a major wildfire was in 2007. SDG&E equipment was linked to the Witch Creek fire, the Guejito fire and the Rice fire, which merged and burned nearly 200,000 acres, killing two people and destroying more than 1,300 homes in San Diego County.
Norte fire in south OC at 5% containment as gusty winds expected to ramp up