Orange County fire in San Clemente / 10/16/2026

A massive vegetation fire erupted in South Orange County, California, on Friday afternoon.

The blaze, dubbed the Norte Fire, has exploded to more than 250 acres in San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano.

Friday marked day two of extremely dry, hot and windy conditions in Southern California.

Evacuation orders have been issued for San Juan zones 4,5 and 10. OC Fire also issued evacuation orders for San Clemente zones 12 and 13.

According to the Orange County Register, at least 8 homes are engulfed in flames.

The Orange County Register reported:

A vegetation fire in San Clemente on Friday morning rapidly grew to 250 acres, prompting evacuations in San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano as flames attacked homes.

Eight homes were reported burning in San Juan Capistrano, with flames reaching the backyards of several other residences.

Firefighters responded around 11:30 a.m. on Oct. 16 to the 3000 block of Eminencia del Norte, according to Watch Duty, a nonprofit app that tracks wildfires.

The blaze, dubbed the Norte Fire, initially grew to about 10 acres before expanding to an estimated 50 to 70 acres by 12:20 p.m., driven by wind and terrain. The Orange County Fire Authority later reported the fire had reached 250 acres.

Sky5 showed multiple homes engulfed in flames:

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