Norte Fire: Orange County resident describes jumping into action to help neighbors
When the Norte Fire broke out in Orange County Friday morning, many neighbors jumped into action to help each other.
KABC
ByTim Pulliam
Sunday, October 18, 2026 4:47PM
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif. (KABC) –When theNorte Fire broke out in Orange County Friday morning, Justin Ziegler and his dad spotted the flames from a distance. When they saw it getting closer to homes, they jumped into action.
“It looks like a scene from a movie. There’s just fire everywhere,” Ziegler said.
He and his dad urged one family to leave who were still scrambling to get last-minute items from their home.
“The kid didn’t want to move. He was kinda staring out the doorway of what looked like a hellscape. Just his world on fire. I helped kinda guide the kid along and helped get them in their car. She dropped some of her things on the ground and I helped her pick them up, shoved them in the car and we took off.”
That same neighbor shared an image of the raging fire encroaching on her backyard before escaping danger with Ziegler.
When asked by Eyewitness News why he put himself in harm’s way, Ziegler replied: “I wouldn’t necessarily call it harm’s way, I would just call it the right thing to do.”
“I think the important thing is that we need to be nice to each other. We need to be kind to each other.”
Doorbell camera video shows another neighbor, Ephraim Taylor, rushing to collect water to throw on an active flame.
“We’re lucky that there was still water. If there hadn’t been water, that would have been some real trouble,” Taylor said.
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Now that evacuation orders have been lifted, residents are confronted with what the fire left behind.
Jessie Ewell spotted several red-tagged homes, including one that was burned to the ground. His own home was spared.
“Obviosuly, you feel really bad for your neighbors and stuff like that… It’s devastating.
A total of seven homes were severely damaged or destroyed near San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano.
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