Merve Aydogan
17 October 2026•Update: 17 October 2026
Authorities issued evacuation orders Friday for parts of Orange County in the US state of California as a rapidly spreading wildfire threatened structures.
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, known as CAL FIRE, said five evacuation zones were under mandatory orders, including two in San Clemente and three in San Juan Capistrano.
The Norte Fire, which started at 12:01 pm local time in San Clemente, grew from 10 acres to 50 acres (20 hectares) within about 30 minutes, according to CAL FIRE updates.
Structures are threatened, and the cause is under investigation.
Meanwhile, the agency said two other wildfires in Southern California remained uncontained.
The Henderson Fire in San Diego County had burned 1,404 acres (568 hectares), with containment at 0%, according to CAL FIRE.
The Bryson Fire in Los Angeles County had spread across 200 acres (81 hectares) and was also 0% contained, the agency said.
