OMM Newsroom
A wildfire in Orange County, California, burned 570 acres and damaged or destroyed seven homes before firefighters made progress containing the blaze, Anadolu Agency reported.
The Norte Fire was 25% contained on Saturday night, and all evacuation orders had been lifted as crews continued to battle it, according to the Orange County Fire Authority.
The fire broke out around midday Friday in San Clemente and spread rapidly, forcing thousands of residents to leave their homes. At its peak, about 4,600 homes and nearly 16,000 people were inside the evacuation zone, fire officials said.
As conditions improved, officials lifted evacuation orders in parts of San Clemente and allowed residents to return gradually to an area in San Juan Capistrano.
Orange County Fire Authority Fire Chief T.J. McGovern described the conditions at a news conference on Friday evening. “Due to weather and topography, this fire moved fast,” he said, describing the wind as “relentless.”
Officials said no residents had been reported injured as of Friday, while two firefighters were hurt. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Dangerous weather conditions
The fire broke out amid high temperatures and strong Santa Ana winds. Red flag warnings remained in effect for Los Angeles and Ventura counties and the Antelope Valley foothills through Saturday night.
Fire crews were also working to contain another major blaze nearby. The Norte Fire was burning about 20 miles (32 km) north of the Henderson Fire at Camp Pendleton in San Diego County, which had scorched 2,079 acres.
Officials said on Friday that about 400 firefighters were working to contain the Norte Fire, with another 400 expected to join the effort.
