Crews continued to make progress on the wind-driven Norte Fire in south Orange County on Saturday, prompting authorities to lift all evacuation orders except for residents on Via La Mirada north of Calle Esperanza.
The 570-acre blaze sparked near Portico Del Norte in San Clemente around 11:30 a.m. Friday and quickly spread through parts of San Juan Capistrano, according to the Orange County Fire Authority. As of 6 p.m. Saturday, it was 25% contained.
Seven homes in San Juan Capistrano, mostly on Via La Mirada, have been damaged or destroyed, the OCFA said. Video from that street showed scorched hillsides and houses as firefighters battled the fire from the ground and the air.
Evacuation orders were issued across multiple neighborhoods in both cities, spanning from the 5 Freeway to the south, La Pata Avenue to the north, Descanso Park to the west and Foster Ranch to the east. The area included about 16,000 people, OCFA Fire Chief TJ McGovern said during a Friday evening news conference.
On Saturday afternoon, the OCFA and the Orange County Sheriff's Department announced that residents in San Clemente Zone 13 could return home and that San Juan Capistrano Zone 10 would be partially repopulated, specifically San Juan Hills High School, the Prima Deshecha Landfill off La Pata and the small residential community off Stallion Ridge.
By 6 p.m., all orders in both cities were lifted, though the burn scar area would remain closed. People living on Via La Mirada north of Calle Esperanza could check on their homes but were not allowed to stay, with fire officials citing hoses, power outages and overall safety concerns.
Via La Mirada north of Calle Esperanza would also remain closed to traffic.
The OCFA said residents with questions can call the information hotline at 714-628-7085.
Planet Fitness said its Laguna Niguel, Lake Forest and Foothill Ranch locations were open to those impacted by the Norte Fire, offering a place to shower, charge devices, access Wi-Fi and rest for free.
Two firefighters were taken to the hospital with "significant injuries" but were in stable condition, fire officials said. No other injuries were reported.
In anticipation of this Santa Ana wind event, McGovern said the OCFA had upstaffed resources, including additional aircraft, water tenders and hand crews.
"When the call came in, we had a robust response already ready to go from the air and the ground, and I can tell you that made a difference," the fire chief said. "Due to weather and topography, this fire moved fast. This was a wind-driven event."
Crews worked overnight from Friday into Saturday to keep the blaze within its current footprint.
While winds have dropped significantly across Southern California, a red flag warning remains in place until 8 p.m. Saturday. The area near the Norte Fire saw temperatures in the 90s with 5 to 10 mile-per-hour winds Saturday afternoon.
"After the winds are over, we focus on the next weather change, which will be a big cooldown and chance of rain Wednesday and Thursday this week," NBC4 Meteorologist Shanna Mendiola said.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
McGovern credited fire departments from Los Angeles city, Los Angeles County, Long Beach, San Bernardino and CalFire with sending strike teams and personnel, as well as the OCSD for coordinating efforts to get people out of their homes quickly and safely.
This is a developing story. Please refresh for updates.