Wildfire races through SoCal as structures threatened by wind-fueled blaze

A wildfire in Orange County exploded in size Friday, forcing evacuation orders as it threatened structures, growing to 250 acres in a matter of minutes.

The Norte Fire broke out around 11:30 a.m. in the area of Portico Del Norte and quickly grew to at least 50 acres by around noon, according to the Orange County Fire Authority and CalFire.

“The fire is at 50 acres at this time. Structures are threatened. Crews are aggressively attacking the fire from the ground and air. Please continue to avoid the area,” Cal Fire wrote in a 12:30 p.m. update.

In the next hour, the fire kept growing, blowing up to 250 acres by 1:12 p.m. The fire was 0% contained as of that update.

Evacuation orders have been issued for San Juan Zones 4, 5, and 10 as well as San Clemente Zones 12 and 13.

Smoke from the fire prompted the Capistrano Unified School District to urge students to stay indoors due to the smoke.

Heat, strong winds and dry conditions were fueling the blaze and firefighters and aerial support worked to stop its spread.

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters