California wildfire forces thousands to evacuate, burns 570 acres

A wildfire in Orange County in US State of California, burned 570 acres and damaged or destroyed seven homes before firefighters made progress in containing the blaze.

All evacuation orders were lifted Saturday night as crews continued battling the Norte Fire, which was 25% contained, according to the Orange County Fire Authority.

The fire broke out around midday Friday in San Clemente, spreading rapidly and forcing thousands of residents to leave their homes. At its peak, approximately 4,600 homes and nearly 16,000 people were within the evacuation zone, fire officials said.

As conditions improved, officials lifted evacuation orders in parts of San Clemente and allowed residents to gradually return to a zone in San Juan Capistrano.

Orange County Fire Authority Fire Chief T.J. McGovern described the challenging conditions at a news conference Friday evening.

"Due to weather and topography, this fire moved fast," McGovern said, describing the wind as "relentless."

No injuries among residents had been reported as of Friday, although two firefighters were hurt, according to officials. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

The wildfire erupted amid dangerous weather conditions, including high temperatures and strong Santa Ana winds. Red flag warnings remained in effect for Los Angeles and Ventura counties and the Antelope Valley foothills through Saturday night.

Fire crews also faced the challenge of containing another major blaze nearby. The Norte Fire was burning about 20 miles (32 km) north of the Henderson Fire at Camp Pendleton in San Diego County, which had scorched 2,079 acres.

On Friday, officials said around 400 firefighters were working to contain the Norte Fire, with another 400 expected to join the effort.