Fire fighters are starting to contain the Norte Fire, which has burnt up to 570 acres in San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano as of Saturday morning, after about thousands of residents were under evacuation orders and warnings yesterday.
OC Fire Authority officials said they contained about 5% of the fire overnight in a Saturday morning update.
“Our actions today will be to continue to attack the fire and work towards getting residents home as soon as it’s safe to do so,” said Greg Barta, a public information officer with the Orange County Fire Authority in a video posted to X this morning.
Lizbeth Gwisdalla, a spokeswoman for the OC Sheriff’s
Lizbeth Gwisdalla, a spokeswoman for the OC Sheriff’s department, said Saturday about 16,000 residents and 6,000 structures were under evacuation orders.
It was also announced this morning that the affected areas will be receiving funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, to support the fire fighting.
“By securing this federal assistance, we are ensuring our local and state partners have the critical reves and property, and keep Californians safe,” wrote Gov. Gavin Newsom in the press release
The fire sprung up near the Prima Deschecha
The fire sprung up near the Prima Deschecha landfill around midday Friday, spreading from 10 acres to 250 in an hour, with the Santa Ana winds and dry brush fueling the blaze.
Mandatory evacuations are still underway, stretching across north San Clemente and southeast San Juan Capistrano.
According to Barta, six homes have been damaged by the flames, two firefighters have been injured and there is still no cause of the fire identified.
The landfill near where the fire started has
The landfill near where the fire started has been closed to the public, but firefighters currently have access to the facility a spokesperson for OC Waste and Recycling
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