Southern California wildfire engulfs homes, prompts evacuation orders

The fast-spreading Norte Fire in Orange County is fuelled by intense warm winds and unseasonably high temperatures.Published On 17 Oct 202617 Oct 2026A fast-spreading wildfire in Orange County, in Southern California, has engulfed several coastal properties and prompted widespread evacuation orders.The Orange County Fire Authority said on Friday that the Norte Fire had scorched about 188 hectares (465 acres), with the state’s Cal Fire agency putting it at about 231 hectares (570 acres) by the evening, and that at least six homes had been damaged or destroyed in the San Juan Capistrano area.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Oregon school shooter was former special needs student, police saylist 2 of 3AI deepfake ads grow more popular in US midterm campaigns, blurring truthlist 3 of 3FIFA set for rule change after Balogun red card row at the World Cup: reportsend of listThe fire authority said firefighters were “aggressively attacking the fire from the ground and air” and issued pleas for people to stay clear of the area.Unseasonably high temperatures and low humidity are fuelling the rapid growth of the fire, the AFP news agency reported.The Norte Fire started in the coas...