Norte Fire burns 570 acres in San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano; evacuation orders in effect

Oct. 17, 2026 — The Norte Fire, which started at 11:33 a.m. Oct. 16 near Portico Del Norte and Eminencia Del Norte in San Clemente, had burned 570 acres and was 5% contained as of 8:08 a.m. Oct. 17, according to the fire's incident page on CAL FIRE's website. The Orange County Fire Authority leads the response. Six homes have been damaged or destroyed, the page said, and evacuation orders were in effect for zones in San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano. Shelters are open at the Boys and Girls Club, 1 Via Positiva, San Juan Capistrano; the San Juan Capistrano Community Center, 25925 Camino del Avion; and the San Clemente Community Center, 100 Calle Seville.

On Oct. 16, Gov. Gavin Newsom's office said California had secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which reimburses 75% of eligible fire suppression costs. At that time, the office said the fire, driven by strong Santa Ana winds, had burned about 465 acres and was threatening nearly 13,000 people, with evacuation orders and warnings for 4,000 homes. The cause is under investigation.

TDD reports on public information; it does not issue forecasts or warnings. For guidance where you are, contact your local officials.

The wall: Injury figures and an updated count of people under evacuation orders were not on the incident page.

Tier: Confirmed (based on the fire's incident page as of 8:08 a.m. Oct. 17, unchanged when rechecked at 4:10 p.m., and the governor's office release)

Sources

• CAL FIRE, Norte Fire incident page (updated Oct. 17, 2026, 8:08 a.m.)
• Office of the Governor of California, California secures federal assistance to support response to Norte Fire in Orange County (Oct. 16, 2026)

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