Heat advisory in effect as Southern California wildfire prompts evacuations

A fast-moving wildfire started in San Clemente and spread into San Juan Capistrano, burning multiple homes and prompting thousands of residents to evacuate, according to azfamily.com and dailygazette.com. The fire has engulfed at least six homes, including expensive coastal properties, with black smoke visible from miles away.

Firefighters have been actively working to contain the blaze, with two firefighters hospitalized for heat-related injuries. Some residents attempted to protect their homes by spraying water before evacuating, as reported by azfamily.com.

Authorities have opened evacuation shelters in both San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano. About 16,000 residents had been ordered to evacuate by Friday night, according to the Orange County Fire Authority's Fire Chief TJ McGovern, cited by azfamily.com.

The wildfire is one of several in the region fueled by hot, dry, and windy conditions caused by Santa Ana winds, which blow from the interior toward the coast. The National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for the Orange County and San Diego County coasts, effective until 8 p.m. Saturday, as reported by azfamily.com.

Power outages have affected tens of thousands of people in the state after electricity was turned off as a precaution. Fire officials have not yet determined the cause of the fire, which covered less than a square mile as of Friday evening.

Residents are advised to monitor updates from local authorities and prepare for continued hot and windy conditions that increase fire risk through Saturday night.