Norte Fire grows to 570 acres as officials confirm two firefighter injuries
Six homes were damaged or destroyed in Orange County, California. About 16,000 residents were affected by evacuation orders as crews fought the wind-driven fire.
The Norte Fire in Orange County, California, had spread to 570 acres and was 5% contained by Saturday morning, 17 October, as officials confirmed two firefighter injuries and six homes damaged or destroyed. Evacuation orders affected about 16,000 residents in San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano, according to the Guardian.
The Saturday injury update followed a Friday evening account of one firefighter suffering heat exhaustion. The BBC reported that figure from Division 3 Fire Chief Mark Backoff; the Guardian later quoted an Orange County Fire Authority official confirming two injuries. The Guardian said both firefighters were taken to hospital with heat-related injuries.
How the Norte Fire spread through Orange County
The fire began in San Clemente on Friday and was driven by wind into San Juan Capistrano, the Guardian reported. It covered 465 acres by Friday evening, according to the BBC, before reaching 570 acres by Saturday morning. Fire crews worked through the night on the ground and from the air to strengthen containment lines, the Guardian reported.
Orange County Fire Authority chief TJ McGovern said at a Friday press conference that weather and terrain had accelerated the blaze. ‘Due to weather and topography, this fire moved fast. This was a wind-driven event,’ he said, according to the Guardian. Gusts reached 50 to 70 mph, the Guardian reported.
By Friday night, about 6,000 homes were under mandatory evacuation, affecting roughly 16,000 residents, and a shelter had opened in each city, the Guardian reported. McGovern said at the Friday press conference that there had been no reports of resident injuries or deaths at that point.
Fire danger across Southern California
The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for several California counties, citing strong gusts, low humidity and dry vegetation that could help fires spread, the BBC reported. The Norte Fire was one of 10 burning across the state, according to California's fire agency as cited by the BBC.
Other fires were also prompting evacuations and road closures. The BBC reported that the Bryson Fire in Malibu had reached 147 acres and was 52% contained, while the Henderson Fire in San Diego County had grown beyond 3,100 acres and twice forced closures of Interstate 5. Both figures were reported as of Saturday morning.
The Orange County Fire Authority said the Norte Fire's cause remained under investigation, according to the Guardian. Its Saturday update raised the confirmed firefighter injury count from the one reported on Friday, while leaving the six-home damage figure unchanged.
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Sources and context
- Six homes burned and two firefighters injured in fast-moving California wildfireThe Guardian (with Associated Press contribution noted in article; the cited OCFA statement is attributed to the authority)
- Fast-moving California wildfire burns homes as people are ordered to leaveBBC News
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.