Southern California wildfire engulfs homes, prompts evacuation orders

The fast-spreading Norte Fire in Orange County is fuelled by intense warm winds and unseasonably high temperatures.

A firefighter battles the Norte Fire in San Juan Capistrano, California, on October 16, 2026 [AFP]

A fast-spreading wildfire in Orange County, in Southern California, has engulfed several coastal properties and prompted widespread evacuation orders.

The Orange County Fire Authority said on Friday that the Norte Fire had scorched about 188 hectares (465 acres), with the state’s Cal Fire agency putting it at about 231 hectares (570 acres) by the evening, and that at least six homes had been damaged or destroyed in the San Juan Capistrano area.

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The fire authority said firefighters were “aggressively attacking the fire from the ground and air” and issued pleas for people to stay clear of the area.

Unseasonably high temperatures and low humidity are fuelling the rapid growth of the fire, the AFP news agency reported.

The Norte Fire started in the coastal city of San Clemente on Friday and moved to the city of San Juan Capistrano, with some 6,000 homes and 16,000 residents under evacuation orders by the evening. An evacuation shelter has opened in each city while helicopters attempt to douse the flames.

The Norte Fire is one of several in the region driven by Santa Ana winds, intense warm gusts that blow from the southwest US interior towards the California coast.

The Santa Ana winds typically arrive in the autumn, right when Southern California’s vegetation is at its driest after a long, rainless summer, according to The Weather Channel.

Forecasters said winds blew at between 55km/h and 90km/h (35mph and 55mph) within coastal areas.

The strongest winds were expected through Friday, but the high heat and low humidity conditions that contribute to the growth of the fire are expected to last through Saturday night.

Tens of thousands of people in Los Angeles County were left without power as authorities attempted to lessen the possibility of electrical sparks that the heavy wind gusts could carry.

California firefighters were also busy battling the Bryson Fire, which broke out on the outskirts of the Malibu beach community in Los Angeles County on Thursday. As of Friday, the fire had burned about 59 hectares (147 acres) and was 17 percent contained, according to Cal Fire.

The Henderson Fire was 20 percent contained and had burned 842 hectares (2,080 acres) in San Diego County by Friday, Cal Fire said. The blaze impacted Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton and prompted freeway closures.

橙县迅速蔓延的诺特山火受到强劲暖风和异常高温的助燃。

2026年10月16日，一名消防员在加利福尼亚州圣胡安卡皮斯特拉诺扑灭诺特山火。[法新社]

南加州橙县发生快速蔓延的野火，吞噬了多处沿海房产，并引发了大范围的疏散令。

橙县消防局周五表示，诺特山火已烧毁约 188 公顷（465 英亩）土地，加州消防局当晚表示，过火面积已达约 231 公顷（570 英亩），圣胡安卡皮斯特拉诺地区至少有六栋房屋受损或被毁。

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据报道，巴洛贡世界杯红牌事件引发争议后，国际足联或将修改规则，这是三项规则修改计划中的第三项。

消防部门表示，消防员正在“从地面和空中积极扑灭大火”，并呼吁人们远离该区域。

法新社报道称，异常高温和低湿度助长了火势的迅速蔓延。

诺特山火于周五在沿海城市圣克莱门特燃起，随后蔓延至圣胡安卡皮斯特拉诺市。截至当晚，约有6000户居民和16000户房屋接到疏散命令。目前，两市均已开放疏散中心，直升机正在全力扑灭山火。

诺特山火是该地区受圣安娜风影响而蔓延的几场山火之一。圣安娜风是一种强烈的暖风，从美国西南部内陆吹向加利福尼亚海岸。

据天气频道报道，圣安娜风通常在秋季到来，此时南加州的植被在经历了漫长而无雨的夏季后最为干燥。

预报员称，沿海地区的风速在每小时 55 公里到 90 公里之间（每小时 35 英里到 55 英里）。

预计周五风力最强，但导致火势蔓延的高温低湿天气预计将持续到周六晚上。

由于当局试图减少强风可能带来的电火花，洛杉矶县数万人的电力供应中断。

加州消防员们也忙于扑灭布莱森山火，这场山火于周四在洛杉矶县马里布海滩社区郊区爆发。据加州消防局称，截至周五，这场山火已烧毁约59公顷（147英亩），控制率达17%。

加州消防局表示，截至周五，亨德森山火已控制20%，在圣地亚哥县过火面积达842公顷（2080英亩）。这场大火影响了彭德尔顿海军陆战队基地，并导致高速公路封闭。