Evacuation orders have been lifted after the Norte Fire burned 570 acres in southern Orange County, allowing residents displaced from San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano to return home as crews continued efforts to contain the blaze.
The fire was 60% contained by Sunday evening, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Via La Mirada remained closed north of Esperanza, while the fire-scarred area was still classed as an active hazard zone.
The Norte Fire began shortly after 11.30am on Friday October 16 near Portico Del Norte and Eminencia Del Norte in San Clemente. Strong Santa Ana winds drove the flames towards neighbouring San Juan Capistrano, where homes were damaged or destroyed.
Orange County Fire Authority chief Mark Backhoff said six homes had been affected as the fire moved through residential areas around Avenida Calita, Via La Mirada and Via De Agua. Two firefighters were taken to hospital with heat-related injuries and were later reported to be recovering.
At the height of the response, about 800 firefighters and other emergency personnel were deployed. That number was later reduced as the immediate threat to homes eased, with crews concentrating on hotspots and strengthening containment lines.
About 16,000 residents were ordered to leave during the most dangerous phase of the fire, while California officials said nearly 13,000 people and 4,000 homes had been threatened. Evacuation shelters in the two communities have since closed.
Firefighters are also carrying out suppression repair work to reduce the risk of erosion ahead of expected storms. The operation includes restoring disturbed ground and replacing vegetation affected by efforts to contain the blaze.
Greg Barta, a public information officer for the Orange County Fire Authority, said crews were working to return the landscape to its previous condition and limit the risk of rain washing soil from the burned slopes.
Favourable weather has helped the response, with the strongest Santa Ana winds easing. Light rain was forecast in Orange County later in the week, although officials warned that conditions could still change.
California secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, making eligible suppression costs subject to reimbursement of up to 75%. The cause of the Norte Fire remains under investigation.
