A wildfire driven by Santa Ana winds burned 465 acres and damaged or destroyed at least six homes Friday as residents fled neighborhoods in San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano, California.
The Norte Fire broke out around 11:33 a.m. near Portico Del Norte and Eminencia Del Norte in San Clemente, according to CAL FIRE. It spread to 250 acres by early afternoon and reached 465 acres by about 2:40 p.m.
Flames pushed into residential areas as firefighters worked to protect houses from the ground and air. Homes burned near Avenida Calita, Via La Mirada, and Via De Agua in San Juan Capistrano, where aerial footage showed fire coming through rooftops, NBC Los Angeles reported.
Orange County Fire Authority officials confirmed that at least six homes had been damaged or destroyed. The preliminary count did not specify how many had been lost entirely. The fire remained at 0% containment Friday afternoon, according to ABC News.
More than 500 firefighters were battling the blaze.
“We’re doing everything we can to protect structures,” Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Steve Concialdi said.
Mandatory evacuation orders covered San Clemente zones SCL12 and SCL13, San Juan Capistrano zones SJC04, SJC05 and SJC10. CAL FIRE’s incident page described an “immediate threat to life” and said the affected areas were closed to public access.
Officials urged people to leave rather than remain nearby to watch the firefighting effort.
“Please evacuate, do not stand around,” Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley told NBC Los Angeles. She warned that people gathering on sidewalks were putting themselves in danger.
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