# Norte Fire 60% Contained at 570 Acres After All Evacuation Orders Lifted; Six Homes Damaged or Destroyed in San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano

> The Norte Fire was 570 acres and 60% contained Sunday evening, Oct. 18 (CAL FIRE, 5:10 p.m.), up from 50% that morning. All neighborhood evacuation orders in San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano were lifted at 6 p.m. Saturday and evacuation shelters closed Sunday; the burn area remains closed as an active fire hazard and Via La Mirada is closed north of Esperanza. OCFA says six homes were damaged or destroyed; the cause is under investigation.

- Canonical: https://ocint.app/situation/san-clemente-norte-fire-2026-10-16
- Markdown: https://ocint.app/situation/san-clemente-norte-fire-2026-10-16.md
- JSON: https://ocint.app/api/situations/san-clemente-norte-fire-2026-10-16
- Status: active
- As of: 2026-10-19T00:23:36.956+00:00
- Started: 2026-10-16T18:33:00+00:00
- Cities: San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano
- Publisher: OCINT (https://ocint.app)

## Who / What / Where / When / Why

**Who:** Orange County Fire Authority (incident command); incident commander Kevin Fetterman; Fire Chief TJ McGovern. FEMA Fire Management Assistance Grant secured by Gov. Newsom's office. About 16,000 residents under mandatory evacuation.
**What:** Wind-driven wildfire on the San Clemente–San Juan Capistrano border: 570 acres and 60% contained Sunday evening, Oct. 18, with all neighborhood evacuation orders lifted. OCFA says six homes were damaged or destroyed; cause under investigation.
**Where:** Started near Portico Del Norte and Eminencia Del Norte in Forster Ranch, San Clemente, and burned north into San Juan Capistrano, including homes off Via La Mirada on the city line. The burn area and Via La Mirada north of Esperanza remain closed.
**When:** Reported at 11:33 a.m. PDT Friday, Oct. 16, 2026. All neighborhood evacuation orders lifted at 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17; 60% contained at 5:10 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18.
**Why:** Conditions included elevated winds, low humidity, and high fire danger. A Wind Advisory and High Wind Warning were in effect for inland Orange County and the Santa Ana Mountains through Saturday midday. Cause of ignition is under investigation.

## Narrative

## Current Status

As of Sunday evening, Oct. 18, the Norte Fire was **570 acres and 60% contained** (CAL FIRE, 5:10 p.m.), up from 50% Sunday morning, 25% Saturday evening and 5% Saturday morning. Crews are continuing to strengthen containment lines and mop up hot spots.

OCFA says **six homes were damaged or destroyed**, most believed to be on the San Juan Capistrano side off Via La Mirada; it has not separated destroyed from damaged. Fire Chief TJ McGovern said two firefighters were hospitalized, one with significant injuries; both were reported stable. No civilian injuries or deaths have been reported. The cause is under investigation.

## Evacuations

**All neighborhood evacuation orders have been lifted.** SCL13 and SJC10-B were lifted at 12:18 p.m. Saturday; the remaining zones, SCL12, SJC04, SJC05 and SJC10-A, were lifted effective 6 p.m., OCFA announced at 6:21 p.m. Residents may return but should stay alert for changes.

**Still closed:** the burn area itself, which the county map shows as an "unsafe area" under a mandatory order, and **Via La Mirada north of Esperanza**, which remained closed to traffic. [Check an address on the OC zone map.](https://ocpw.maps.arcgis.com/apps/instant/lookup/index.html?appid=61efa4f48aaf42638d7fe59c395b4865)

**Shelters:** all Norte Fire evacuation shelters closed at 12:38 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18. Public information line: **714-628-7085**; updates at [ocsheriff.gov/nortefire](https://www.ocsheriff.gov/nortefire).

## Schools and Public Facilities

Capistrano Unified dismissed San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano schools early on Friday, Oct. 16, moved students from campuses inside the evacuation zones to Capistrano Valley High for pickup, and canceled district sports and after-school activities. Mission San Juan Capistrano closed its grounds because of smoke. OC Waste & Recycling closed the Prima Deshecha Landfill and the San Juan Capistrano household hazardous waste center on Saturday.

## Weather and Air Quality

NWS San Diego's Wind Advisory for inland Orange County and High Wind Warning for the Santa Ana Mountains and foothills ran until noon Saturday; the Heat Advisory runs until 8 p.m. Saturday. No Red Flag Warning was issued for Orange County. South Coast AQMD's smoke advisory for San Clemente, Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano and Laguna Niguel ran through 10 a.m. Saturday.

## Timeline

- **2026-10-16T11:33:00-07:00:** Fire reported near Portico Del Norte and Eminencia Del Norte in Forster Ranch, San Clemente (CAL FIRE start time).
- **2026-10-16T12:30:00-07:00:** CAL FIRE logs 50 acres with structures threatened.
- **2026-10-16T12:46:00-07:00:** OCFA orders evacuations for San Juan Capistrano zones 4, 5 and 10 and San Clemente zone 12; San Clemente zone 13 is added at 12:55 p.m.
- **2026-10-16T12:58:00-07:00:** Capistrano Unified dismisses San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano schools early.
- **2026-10-16T13:04:00-07:00:** OCFA reports 250 acres.
- **2026-10-16T13:55:00-07:00:** OCFA opens evacuation centers at the San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente community centers.
- **2026-10-16T14:24:00-07:00:** OCFA says four homes off Via La Mirada have been impacted.
- **2026-10-16T14:38:00-07:00:** OCFA reports 465 acres.
- **2026-10-16T15:48:00-07:00:** South Coast AQMD issues a smoke advisory for south Orange County through 10 a.m. Saturday.
- **2026-10-16T17:00:00-07:00:** An Orange County all-hazard Type 3 incident management team takes command, incident commander Kevin Fetterman later said.
- **2026-10-16T17:45:00-07:00:** OCFA Capt. Steve Concialdi says most of the fire has been knocked down, though some homes are still burning and crews will mop up for days (CBS, ABC7).
- **2026-10-16T18:30:00-07:00:** At an evening briefing, Fire Chief TJ McGovern says two firefighters were hospitalized, one with significant injuries; about 400 firefighters are on the lines with 400 more on the way.
- **2026-10-16T18:37:00-07:00:** Gov. Newsom's office says FEMA approved a Fire Management Assistance Grant for the Norte Fire.
- **2026-10-16T19:00:00-07:00:** Fetterman says evacuation orders are not expected to lift Friday night and crews will work through the weekend to keep the fire within its current footprint (NBC4 broadcast).
- **2026-10-16T19:27:00-07:00:** CAL FIRE raises the fire's size to 570 acres; no containment reported.
- **2026-10-16T19:33:00-07:00:** OCFA opens an overnight shelter at the Boys & Girls Club in San Juan Capistrano (animals allowed) and lists pet shelters in Tustin and San Clemente.
- **2026-10-16T20:48:00-07:00:** OCFA says damage-assessment teams have yet to survey burned areas (NBC Los Angeles).
- **2026-10-17:** OC Waste & Recycling keeps Prima Deshecha Landfill and the San Juan Capistrano household hazardous waste center closed Saturday.
- **2026-10-17T07:53:00-07:00:** OCFA reports the first containment: 5% at 570 acres after crews worked overnight on containment lines.
- **2026-10-17T11:08:00-07:00:** The county evacuation map splits zone SJC10 into SJC10-A (west, near the fire's origin) and SJC10-B (east, toward Avenida La Pata); both remain under orders.
- **2026-10-17T12:18:00-07:00:** Evacuation orders for SCL13 and SJC10-B are lifted; orders remain for SCL12, SJC04, SJC05 and SJC10-A. Officials say lifted areas remain threatened by an active fire line and wind.
- **2026-10-17T18:00:00-07:00:** OCFA lifts all remaining evacuation orders in San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano effective 6 p.m., with containment at 25%. Via La Mirada stays closed north of Esperanza, and the burn scar remains an active fire hazard area closed until further notice.
- **2026-10-18T10:20:00-07:00:** CAL FIRE reports the Norte Fire 50% contained at 570 acres.
- **2026-10-18T12:38:00-07:00:** All Norte Fire evacuation shelters close.
- **2026-10-18T17:10:00-07:00:** CAL FIRE reports the Norte Fire 60% contained at 570 acres.

## Primary sources

1. [🚨 Evacuation Order: US-CA-Orange3975](https://community.zonehaven.com/) (2026-10-19T10:15:08.618+00:00)
2. [Norte Fire ](https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2026/10/16/norte-fire/) (2026-10-19T00:11:49+00:00)
3. [ABC7: Evacuation orders issued as wildfire burns in Orange County, California](https://abc7.com/story/evacuation-orders-issued-wildfire-burns-orange-county-california/19945260/) (2026-10-18T03:39:03+00:00)
4. [Voice of OC: Fire Flares up in San Clemente near Prima Deschecha Landfill](https://voiceofoc.org/2026/10/fire-flares-up-in-san-clemente-near-prima-deschecha-landfill/) (2026-10-16T20:26:17+00:00)
5. [Wind Advisory — Orange County Inland](https://api.weather.gov/alerts/urn:oid:2.49.0.1.840.0.3dc9ccd8816fe622ed015ec17fc7661c92aea043.008.2) (2026-10-16T19:54:00+00:00)
6. [NBC LA: At least 6 homes burned in Orange County's Norte Fire](https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/fire-in-orange-county-prompts-evacuation-orders/3957302/) (2026-10-16T13:11:06+00:00)
7. [Size and containment (OCFA / CAL FIRE)](https://x.com/OCFireAuthority/status/2111470585348018359)
8. [Homes burned and firefighter injuries](https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/norte-fire-san-clemente-orange-county-fire-authority/)
9. [Schools and closures](https://x.com/CapoUnified/status/2111231258500235699)
10. [Weather and air quality](https://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=SGX&issuedby=SGX&product=AFD)
11. [Federal fire-management grant](https://x.com/GovPressOffice/status/2111270316995731820)

## Factoids

- **Size and containment (OCFA / CAL FIRE)** (source_doc) ([source](https://x.com/OCFireAuthority/status/2111470585348018359)): CAL FIRE's log: 10 acres at 12:04 p.m., 50 acres at 12:30 p.m., 250 acres at 1:07 p.m. and 465 acres at 2:38 p.m. Oct. 16 (OCFA), then 570 acres from 7:27 p.m. OCFA reported the first containment, 5% at 570 acres, at 7:53 a.m. Oct. 17 after crews worked overnight to strengthen containment lines. Containment reached 25% at 570 acres by 6 p.m. Oct. 17 (OCFA via NBC Los Angeles; CAL FIRE, 6:28 p.m.). Containment reached 50% at 10:20 a.m. Oct. 18 (CAL FIRE). Containment reached 60% at 5:10 p.m. Oct. 18 (CAL FIRE). Cause is under investigation.
- **Homes burned and firefighter injuries** (source_doc) ([source](https://www.cbsnews.com/losangeles/news/norte-fire-san-clemente-orange-county-fire-authority/)): OCFA says six homes were damaged or destroyed, most believed to be on the San Juan Capistrano side off Via La Mirada; its 2:24 p.m. Oct. 16 post first counted four homes impacted. NBC Los Angeles reported aerial images suggested eight or more. OCFA has not separated destroyed from damaged, and damage-assessment teams had yet to report. Fire Chief TJ McGovern said two firefighters were hospitalized, one with significant injuries; both were reported stable. No civilian injuries or deaths have been reported.
- **Evacuation orders** (source_doc) ([source](https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2026/10/16/norte-fire/)): OCFA ordered evacuations at 12:46 p.m. Oct. 16 for SJC04, SJC05, SJC10 and SCL12, adding SCL13 at 12:55 p.m.; about 16,000 residents were under orders Friday evening (OCFA via NBC Los Angeles). On Oct. 17 the county split SJC10 into SJC10-A (west) and SJC10-B (east). At 12:18 p.m. Oct. 17, orders for SCL13 and SJC10-B were lifted; orders remain for SCL12, SJC04, SJC05 and SJC10-A. Officials said the lifted areas remain threatened by an active fire line and windy conditions. By about 6 p.m. Oct. 17 all remaining zone orders (SCL12, SJC04, SJC05, SJC10-A) were lifted; the county map keeps the fire perimeter itself under a mandatory order as an unsafe area, and Via La Mirada north of Esperanza stayed closed to traffic.
- **Shelters and hotline** (source_doc) ([source](https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2026/10/16/norte-fire/)): All Norte Fire evacuation shelters closed at 12:38 p.m. Oct. 18 (CAL FIRE). They had operated at the Boys & Girls Club, 1 Via Positiva, San Juan Capistrano (overnight, animals allowed) and the San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente community centers. Public information line: 714-628-7085; updates at ocsheriff.gov/nortefire.
- **Schools and closures** (source_doc) ([source](https://x.com/CapoUnified/status/2111231258500235699)): Capistrano Unified dismissed San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano schools early on Oct. 16, moved students from campuses inside the evacuation zones to Capistrano Valley High for pickup, and canceled district sports and after-school activities. Mission San Juan Capistrano closed its grounds because of smoke. OC Waste & Recycling closed Prima Deshecha Landfill and the San Juan Capistrano household hazardous waste center on Oct. 17. No Saturday school closures were announced.
- **Agency in charge** (definition) ([source](https://www.fire.ca.gov/incidents/2026/10/16/norte-fire/)): The Orange County Fire Authority has jurisdiction; CAL FIRE's incident page republishes OCFA's updates and lists it as "not a CAL FIRE incident." An Orange County all-hazard Type 3 incident management team took command at 5 p.m. Oct. 16 under incident commander Kevin Fetterman. About 400 firefighters were on the lines Friday evening with 400 more on the way, with help from Los Angeles, Long Beach, Los Angeles County, San Bernardino County and CAL FIRE.
- **Weather and air quality** (source_doc) ([source](https://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=SGX&issuedby=SGX&product=AFD)): NWS San Diego's Wind Advisory for inland Orange County and High Wind Warning for the Santa Ana Mountains and foothills ran until noon Saturday, Oct. 17, and its Heat Advisory for the Orange County coast and inland areas until 8 p.m. Saturday. No Red Flag Warning was issued for Orange County. South Coast AQMD's smoke advisory for San Clemente, Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano and Laguna Niguel ran from 4 p.m. Friday to 10 a.m. Saturday.
- **Federal fire-management grant** (source_doc) ([source](https://x.com/GovPressOffice/status/2111270316995731820)): Gov. Gavin Newsom's office said at 6:37 p.m. Oct. 16 that the state secured a FEMA Fire Management Assistance Grant for the Norte Fire, which reimburses eligible firefighting costs.

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