Norte Fire burns homes in Orange County as Santa Ana winds fuel California blazes

Norte Fire tears through coastal homes

The Norte Fire started on the morning of Friday, 16 October, in the coastal city of San Clemente and then moved into San Juan Capistrano, both in Orange County. An early Orange County Fire Authority estimate put the blaze at about 188 hectares (465 acres), while Cal Fire's figure by the evening was about 231 hectares (570 acres). By that evening at least six homes had been damaged or destroyed in the San Juan Capistrano area, and one firefighter had been injured by heat exhaustion. Evacuation orders covered some 6,000 homes and 16,000 residents by the evening, and an evacuation shelter opened in each city while helicopters attempted to douse the flames.

Santa Ana winds and red flag conditions

Dry, warm, gusty northeast winds known as Santa Anas were forecast to blow from the interior toward the coast, with the strongest gusts expected through Friday afternoon. The National Weather Service forecast winds of 20 to 35 mph with gusts of 50 to 70 mph in some areas, and a red flag warning covered several California counties. Humidity was dropping, which the service said would favor a critical fire weather threat. Winds topped 40 mph in the Los Angeles area, and temperatures ran far above average for the season.

Rose Schoenfeld, a National Weather Service meteorologist, described the event as unusually widespread:

It's a pretty widespread event of elevated fire weather, so the whole SoCal region should really be on alert.

A heat advisory was in place, with a forecast of 95F (35C) in southern California on Saturday, 17 October.

Other fires from Malibu to San Diego County

The Bryson Fire broke out on Thursday, 15 October, on the outskirts of Malibu and prompted evacuation orders across the Santa Monica Mountains. Cal Fire put it at about 59 hectares (147 acres) and 17 percent contained as of Friday, 16 October, and more than 285 firefighters battled it overnight, according to AP. The fire had threatened a Los Angeles County juvenile detention and rehabilitative facility, which was evacuated on Thursday night.

The Henderson Fire in San Diego County, which erupted on Thursday, had burned 842 hectares (2,080 acres) and was 20 percent contained by Friday, according to Cal Fire. Polsat News reported that part of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton was affected, with the Las Flores area evacuated and a temporary reception point set up at Paige Field House. AP reported that fires sparked on Thursday afternoon had triggered evacuation orders in Azusa, north of Los Angeles, and at Camp Pendleton. Cal Fire counted the Norte Fire as one of 13 burning across the state.

Power shutoffs and city response

More than 170,000 customers across northern, central and southern California were without electricity as of Friday, 16 October, according to poweroutage.com as cited by AP. Utilities have in recent years begun shutting off power during dry, windy weather to reduce fire risk, because some of California's worst wildfires were sparked by power equipment.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who faced criticism over the city's response to deadly fires in 2025, directed the fire department to deploy personnel and equipment before the winds arrived. The department also asked the state's office of emergency services for assistance. In San Clemente, city council member Victor Cabral said schools had closed, scheduled events had been cancelled, and thousands of people had been ordered to evacuate.

What happens next

Officials expected high heat, low humidity and fire-favouring winds to persist through Saturday night, 17 October. Mark Backoff, Division 3 Fire Chief, said in his Friday evening update:

We continue to engage in the firefight, and have additional resources coming.

Crews were still fighting the Norte Fire at the close of Friday, 16 October, and the weather forecast kept the fire risk elevated until Saturday night.