Climateupdated 1h ago2 min read
Norte Fire Triggers Evacuation Orders in Orange County, California, After Burning 465 Acres
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Norte Fire reached about 465 acres, triggering evacuations in San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano. At least six homes damaged or destroyed by the fire.
ABC News was read line by line by the Watchdog: 3.9. See the score →
Norte Fire Evacuations
Evacuation orders went out for parts of Orange County, California, as the Norte Fire burned after igniting midday Friday in San Clemente, with fire officials saying it had burned at least 465 acres so far.
Orange County Fire Authority Fire Chief T.J. McGovern said, "Due to weather and topography, this fire moved fast," and he called the wind "relentless."
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced California had secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to support firefighting efforts against the Norte Fire.
The Orange County Fire Authority said the vegetation fire threatened multiple structures, and fire officials said no residents had been injured but two firefighters had been hurt.
The BBC reported that the US National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for several California counties due to strong, gusty winds combined with low humidity and dry vegetation.
Wind, Acreage, Injuries
Division 3 Fire Chief Mark Backoff said, "We continue to engage in the firefight, and have additional resources coming," as the Norte Fire grew to 465 acres by the evening. Winds topped 40mph (64km/h) in the Los Angeles area, and motorists should watch for debris blown into roadways. Two firefighters were taken to the hospital with heat-related injuries, and San Clemente Mayor Rick Loeffler said, "Had these winds been a little bit stronger, a little bit different direction, this could have been a whole lot worse."
LAist said the fire ignited around 11:30 a.m. near Portico Del Norte and Eminencia Del Norte in San Clemente, and it said the Orange County Fire Authority received a call at 11:33 a.m. and sent crews already on standby. The Guardian said roughly 16,000 people in the coastal communities of San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente were under mandatory evacuation orders by Friday afternoon.
What Comes Next
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection was tracking multiple fires across the state, and it warned that critical fire conditions were expected to persist over the weekend. Norte Fire Neighborhoods near Calle Delgado in San Juan Capistrano faced mandatory evacuation orders, and an estimated 16,000 residents were subjected to those orders. The Guardian said the objective was to limit the fire's further spread and keep it within its current footprint, and it added that officials said two firefighters were injured battling the blaze due to heat exhaustion.
Fire Management Assistance Grant was provided through FEMA on a cost-share basis and allows local, state and tribal agencies responding to the fire to apply for reimbursement of 75% of eligible fire suppression costs. The fierce Santa Ana winds will blow until Saturday, bringing further risk of more conflagrations, and the Norte Fire was one of 13 burning across the state.