Firefighters worked through the night to clear lines of vegetation around the 570-acre Norte Fire in San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano, with containment growing to 75% Monday.
The fire broke out at about 11:30 a.m. Friday in the area of Portico Del Norte, according to the Orange County Fire Authority. Driven by fierce Santa Ana winds, it grew to 250 acres within an hour and destroyed or damaged seven homes.
“Crews will continue working to extinguish hot spots and strengthen containment lines,” the agency said Monday morning.
OCFA Capt. Steve Concialdi said over the weekend that firefighters expected to remain in the area for several days to prevent the fire from rekindling.
“We’re going to be here for a number of days. We don’t want rekindling,” Concialdi said. “We don’t want those embers to then catch a palm tree or some vegetation in another area or next to homes.”
The wind-whipped blaze prompted evacuation orders in multiple neighborhoods of San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano, including streets off Camino Las Ramblas down to the San Diego (5) Freeway. According to San Clemente Chief of Police Services Justin Chevalier, approximately 6,000 homes and 16,000 residents were initially reported under evacuation orders.
Some evacuation orders were lifted Saturday morning, allowing evacuated San Clemente residents to return. Partial repopulation in San Juan Capistrano initially included the Stallion Ridge community, San Juan Hills High School and the landfill off La Pata, before the remaining evacuation orders were lifted Saturday evening.
Via La Mirada remained closed to vehicle traffic north of Esperanza to allow OCFA emergency vehicles to continue working. People were urged to avoid the burn scar area.
The cause of the fire remained under investigation.