A fast-moving wildfire tore into neighborhoods in southern California on Friday as the region braced for more hot, windy weather expected to keep fire danger elevated through Saturday evening.
Homes lost as the Norte fire explodes
At least six homes were destroyed after the Norte fire erupted in Orange County and rapidly grew past 465 acres, according to Mark Backoff, a division chief with the Orange County Fire Authority. "Due to topography features and the weather, this fire rapidly grew," he said in a Friday afternoon update. "We continue to be engaged in the firefight and we have additional resources coming." Roughly 16,000 residents of the coastal communities of San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente were placed under mandatory evacuation orders, nine schools dismissed early, and two firefighters were treated for heat exhaustion while battling the blaze.
The Norte fire was one of three major blazes burning simultaneously across the region. The Henderson fire, which broke out at the Camp Pendleton Marine Corps base on Thursday, had swept across more than 2,000 acres and forced a temporary closure of Interstate 5 in both directions; it was 20% contained by Friday evening. Further north, the Bryson fire burned roughly 146 acres in the hills east of Malibu and was 39% contained, with more than 7,200 structures still under threat though none reported lost. Los Angeles Fire Chief Anthony Morrone said more than 400 firefighters worked the blaze with only minor injuries reported, and county supervisor Lindsey Horvath credited crews who "held the line to make sure that despite these challenging winds, no lives or structures were put in harm's way."
Santa Ana winds keep danger elevated
The fires broke out amid a high-wind event driven by dry, gusty Santa Ana winds blowing from the interior toward the coast, with daytime highs reaching 92F (33C) and gusts up to 65mph. "It's a pretty widespread event of elevated fire weather, so the whole SoCal region should really be on alert," said Rose Schoenfeld, a National Weather Service meteorologist, who noted the winds are not expected to match the intensity of the firestorm in early 2025 that killed more than 30 people and destroyed thousands of homes with gusts up to 100mph. Utilities proactively cut power to more than 150,000 customers statewide as a precaution, and California's office of emergency services pre-positioned resources ahead of the weather event.
California Governor Gavin Newsom secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to support crews fighting the Norte fire. "By securing this federal assistance, we are ensuring our local and state partners have the critical resources they need," he said in a statement. In Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass, who faced criticism over her administration's response to last year's deadly fires, directed the fire department to pre-deploy personnel and equipment ahead of the winds. Horvath urged residents to remain cautious as the threat continues. "We are still in red flag conditions through 8pm [Saturday] evening," she said. "It's important that we stay vigilant and stay prepared."
