Firefighters were tackling several wildfires across California on Sunday, with the Norte Fire in Orange County destroying homes as crews also battled the Henderson Fire near Camp Pendleton and the Cooley Fire in Mendocino County.
The Norte Fire, which began near San Clemente on Friday, had burned about 570 acres by Sunday and was 50% contained, according to the Orange County Fire Authority. Officials said six homes had been damaged or destroyed, while evacuation orders were lifted in affected parts of San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano.
The blaze was driven by strong Santa Ana winds, dry vegetation and high temperatures. Its cause remains under investigation.
Further south, the Henderson Fire was burning at Camp Pendleton in San Diego County. CAL FIRE said the fire had covered 3,160 acres and was 50% contained, with one structure destroyed and hundreds of firefighters working alongside military and federal agencies.
Interstate 5 was temporarily closed in both directions near the base as flames threatened the major route. The evacuation order for the base’s 41 Area was later lifted, according to incident updates.
In Mendocino County, the Cooley Fire had spread across 731 acres west of Cloverdale and was 5% contained. CAL FIRE said steep, rugged terrain and limited road access were hampering suppression efforts, while additional crews and helicopters were being deployed.
Firefighters used night-flying helicopters to support strategic firing operations around the Cooley Fire, with smoke visible across parts of Mendocino, Lake, Napa and Sonoma counties.
Meanwhile, crews in Marin County were preparing a controlled burn near Bon Tempe Reservoir on Mount Tamalpais from Monday. Marin County Fire said up to 25 acres could be treated as part of vegetation-management work intended to reduce wildfire risk.
Residents were warned they might see or smell smoke from the prescribed burn, but were asked not to call emergency services unless there was a separate threat. The operation is being coordinated by Marin County Fire and Marin Water under strict weather, air-quality and fire-safety conditions.
