Firefighters gained ground on the Norte Fire in Orange County on Saturday, and most of the thousands of residents ordered out of their homes were allowed to return as containment climbed to 25 per cent.
The fire, burning near San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano south of Los Angeles, had scorched 570 acres by Saturday evening, up from just 5 per cent containment in the morning, Orange County Fire Authority Chief TJ McGovern said. Evacuation orders were lifted at 6 p.m. for most areas, with one San Clemente street excepted; about 16,000 residents and some 6,000 homes had been under mandatory orders.
At least six homes were damaged or destroyed, and two firefighters were hospitalised with heat-related injuries. The fire started at about 11:30 a.m. on Friday near Portico Del Norte and was driven by Santa Ana winds; its cause is under investigation.
The Norte Fire was the largest of several blazes whipped up by the same wind event across Southern California, including the Bryson Fire near Malibu and the Henderson Fire at Camp Pendleton. Crews warned that gusty conditions could still test containment lines overnight.
