Norte Fire burns 570 acres, forces 16,000 evacuations in Orange County

A wildfire known as the Norte Fire ignited around 11:30 a.m. Friday in San Clemente, Orange County, and rapidly spread to burn approximately 570 acres, according to hngn.com.

The fire, driven by strong Santa Ana winds, destroyed or damaged at least six homes and forced evacuation orders for about 16,000 residents across roughly 4,600 homes in San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano, the Orange County Fire Authority reported.

Evacuation zones were bounded by Interstate 5 to the south, La Pata Avenue to the north, Descanso Park to the west, and Foster Ranch to the east. Sheriff's deputies conducted door-to-door notifications in the affected neighborhoods.

Fire crews continued battling the blaze through the night to prevent it from spreading into more neighborhoods. One firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion during the response.

Evacuation centers were established at the San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente Community Centers, and several schools in the Capistrano Unified School District dismissed early due to smoke conditions. The fire's cause remains under investigation.