Norte Fire burning near San Juan Capistrano triggers evacuation orders as flames threaten homes

Crews are battling a wildfire, dubbed Norte Fire, that threatens homes in the San Juan Capistrano area Friday afternoon.

The Orange County Fire Department said firefighters responded to the Portico Del Norte area shortly after 11:30 a.m. after receiving reports of a fire.

“In anticipation of the fires we are currently experiencing, we have increased our workforce and placed them in strategic areas to anticipate potential fires and their growth,” said OCFA Battalion Chief Mark Backhoff.

Fire officials said topography, coupled with weather conditions, allowed the fire to quickly grow to 570 acres and prompted evacuation orders.

OCFA said crews were aggressively attacking the fire from the ground and air. Aerial footage showed helicopters and planes dropping water and fire retardant as flames burned several homes. OCFA said the fire affected six homes.

Two firefighters were hospitalized with serious injuries but are in stable condition, according to OCFA.

“I’ve lived here since 1995, and this is the first time we’ve actually had a fire in this area,” said resident Robert Morris. “It’s a wake-up call.”

Crews extinguished the majority of the fire by 5:45 p.m., according to Capt. Steve Concialdi.

“There are still a few houses that are affected here,” he said. “As you can see, the wind is still blowing pretty strong here.”

State officials secured a grant from FEMA to provide additional resources to Orange County crews.

“By securing this federal assistance, we are ensuring our local and state partners have the critical resources they need to aggressively fight the Northern Fire, protect lives and property, and keep Californians safe,” Gov. Gavin Newsom wrote in a statement.

Agencies from LA and San Bernardino counties sent resources to assist OCFA throughout the fire.

“Our community will get through this together,” said San Juan Capistrano Mayor John Campbell. “Right now, our priority is to protect lives, support those who have been displaced, and give our first responders the space and resources they need to continue their work. »

Evacuation orders

Evacuation orders have been issued for Zones 4, 5 and 10 of San Juan. They were also issued for San Clemente Zones 12 and 13.

“Follow evacuation orders because we never know when the wind is going to change,” said County Supervisor Katrina Foley. “That’s what we saw in the airport fire. We don’t want anyone to get hurt.”

Evacuation shelters:

• San Juan Capistrano Community Center at 25925 Camino del Avion, San Juan Capistrano
• San Clemente Community Center at 100 Calle Seville, San Clemente

“Please be patient with us at this time. We know you want to return home,” Concialdi said. “We have a lot of firefighters working… We don’t want to see any more homes damaged by this fire.”

Winds and air quality

A Santa Ana Wind Event and warm temperatures have increased the risk of fires in Southern California. A heat advisory will be in effect until 8 p.m. Saturday for inland Orange County and coastal areas of Southern California. Temperatures are expected to reach as high as 95 degrees, increasing the risk of heat-related illnesses.

Concialdi said crews were trying to extinguish embers and hot spots to prevent Santa Ana winds from spreading the fire.

“When we have Santa Ana winds, they could blow embers a mile or more,” Concialdi said.

He added that OCFA firefighting helicopters will continue to fly despite the wind.

“If there is a threat, they will steal,” Concialdi said.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District said smoke and particulate matter from the Norte Fire will degrade air quality to unhealthy levels for sensitive groups by Friday evening in parts of South Orange County, including San Clemente, Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano and Laguna Niguel. It is expected to remain at this level until Saturday morning.

The AQMD said air quality will be good to moderate across most of south Orange County by Saturday afternoon. He urged residents to stay indoors with windows and doors closed, use their air conditioners and air purifiers, but avoid swampy coolers or fans that can bring in outside air.

He also recommended residents use N95 or P100 respirators if they must go outside.

“Remain vigilant and listen to emergency managers as we continue to navigate strong Santa Ana winds and work to suppress the Norte Fire in Orange County,” Newsom wrote in a message to X.

Breakdowns and road closures

San Diego Gas and Electric, which operates the region’s electric utilities, said an outage that began at 11:31 a.m. affected about 496 customers during the fire.

Another outage, affecting 2,351 customers near the fire, emerged later in the afternoon.

As a precaution, the Santa Margarita Water District asked area residents to conserve water.

“Our firefighters had no problem putting water on this fire,” said OCFA Chief TJ McGovern. “I know the Santa Margarita Water District is asking all residents to follow their standard wildfire protocol…Again, we have no issues, and this is a precautionary measure.”

The California Highway Patrol has closed the Ortega Freeway on-ramp to the southbound 5 Freeway. Authorities asked people to avoid the area.

The northbound 5 Freeway through San Diego County was closed earlier in the day due to another fire, but was reopened at 5:30 p.m.

“We just need people to stay off I-5, stay off the interstate because it’s impacted,” Foley said.