# Norte Fire grows to 465 acres, burns homes in San Juan Capistrano and forces evacuations Developing: The wind-driven fire that began in San Clemente has no confirmed containment figure, and its cause is under investigation. By The Signal Edition | News / Weather Published: 2026-10-16T22:05:00Z Updated: 2026-10-16T22:05:00Z Canonical: https://www.thesignaledition.com/article/norte-fire-san-clemente-evacuations-tb6ubk Image: https://www.thesignaledition.com/media/507c8c92fbb41ba711332929bf53338f.webp (Smoke and flames from the Norte Fire burning near homes in San Clemente, California; credit: OCFA via NBC Los Angeles (rights not confirmed)) ## Summary - The Norte Fire was estimated at 465 acres at 2:40 p.m. PDT Friday, up from 10 acres at 12:04 p.m., per OCFA. - Evacuation orders cover San Clemente zones SCL12 and SCL13 and San Juan Capistrano zones SJC04, SJC05 and SJC10. - OCFA reported four homes impacted on Via La Mirada; NBC Los Angeles reported at least eight burned. No official count. - Cause is under investigation; no later containment figure was found after 0 percent at 1:30 p.m. ## What is confirmed The Norte Fire, a wind-driven wildfire in south Orange County, had grown to an estimated 465 acres by 2:40 p.m. Pacific time Friday and had burned homes in San Juan Capistrano, according to the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) as relayed by NBC Los Angeles and CBS Los Angeles. [2](https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/fire-in-orange-county-prompts-evacuation-orders/3957302/) [3](https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/norte-fire-san-clemente-orange-county-fire-authority/) The fire started around 11:30 a.m. near Portico Del Norte and Eminencia Del Norte in San Clemente. CAL FIRE's incident page, which lists OCFA as the agency with jurisdiction and notes it is not a CAL FIRE incident, logged the fire at 10 acres at 12:04 p.m., 50 acres at 12:30 p.m., 250 acres at 1:07 p.m. and 465 acres at 2:39 p.m. [1](https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2026/10/16/norte-fire) OCFA said four homes off Via La Mirada in San Juan Capistrano were impacted, per the incident page and CBS Los Angeles. NBC Los Angeles reported at least eight homes burned near Avenida Calita, Via La Mirada and Via De Agua. The figures differ and no official damage count had been published in the sources reviewed. [1](https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2026/10/16/norte-fire) [3](https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/norte-fire-san-clemente-orange-county-fire-authority/) [2](https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/fire-in-orange-county-prompts-evacuation-orders/3957302/) ## Evacuations and response Evacuation orders cover San Clemente zones SCL12 and SCL13 and San Juan Capistrano zones SJC04, SJC05 and SJC10, the incident page says. An order is a legal directive to leave immediately. NBC Los Angeles described affected areas as extending from Camino Las Ramblas to the 5 Freeway. [1](https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2026/10/16/norte-fire) [2](https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/fire-in-orange-county-prompts-evacuation-orders/3957302/) Shelters are open at the San Juan Capistrano Community Center, 25925 Camino del Avion, and the San Clemente Community Center, 100 Calle Seville. Crews are attacking the fire from the ground and air, with water-dropping aircraft and additional strike teams, OCFA said. The Capistrano Unified School District dismissed several schools early and cancelled sports and after-school programs, NBC Los Angeles reported. [1](https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2026/10/16/norte-fire) [2](https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/fire-in-orange-county-prompts-evacuation-orders/3957302/) ## Conditions and what is unknown Santa Ana winds and hot temperatures have raised fire danger across Southern California, CBS Los Angeles reported. LAist said red flag warnings are in effect through Saturday, with cooler weather and a chance of light rain expected over the next few days, and that other fires broke out Friday elsewhere in the region, including in the Santa Monica Mountains above Malibu. [3](https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/norte-fire-san-clemente-orange-county-fire-authority/) [4](https://laist.com/news/climate-environment/norte-fire-san-clemente) The cause is under investigation, according to CAL FIRE's incident page. Containment was 0 percent at 1:30 p.m., per LAist citing CAL FIRE, and no later containment figure was found. No injuries were reported in the NBC Los Angeles and LAist accounts, and LAist reported no deaths. The number of homes destroyed or damaged is not confirmed. [1](https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2026/10/16/norte-fire) [2](https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/fire-in-orange-county-prompts-evacuation-orders/3957302/) [4](https://laist.com/news/climate-environment/norte-fire-san-clemente) ## What to watch Acreage rose from 250 to 465 in about 90 minutes on the incident page's log, and all outlets describe the situation as developing. The next OCFA and incident-page updates should bring the first containment figure, an official count of damaged structures and any change to evacuation zones. Residents can check the Orange County evacuation zone map to see whether their address is under an order. [1](https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2026/10/16/norte-fire) [4](https://laist.com/news/climate-environment/norte-fire-san-clemente) ## Reporting sources 1. [CAL FIRE: Norte Fire incident page (Orange County Fire Authority jurisdiction)](https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2026/10/16/norte-fire) (2026-10-16) 2. [NBC Los Angeles: Wind-driven Norte Fire burns homes, forces evacuations in Orange County](https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/fire-in-orange-county-prompts-evacuation-orders/3957302/) (2026-10-16) 3. [CBS Los Angeles: Norte Fire burning near San Juan Capistrano prompts evacuation orders as flames threaten homes](https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/norte-fire-san-clemente-orange-county-fire-authority/) (2026-10-16) 4. [LAist: Structures burning in South Orange County as Norte Fire grows](https://laist.com/news/climate-environment/norte-fire-san-clemente) (2026-10-16)