Overview
- The blaze, first reported around 11:30 a.m. Friday, grew rapidly in Santa Ana winds to about 250 acres within an hour and ultimately burned roughly 570 acres across San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente.
- Evacuation orders initially covered about 6,000 homes and 16,000 residents, shelters were opened, and all evacuation orders were lifted by Saturday night as conditions improved.
- Local officials report six to seven homes were severely damaged or destroyed and two firefighters were injured and are recovering.
- Fire authorities say the incident was 50% contained as of Sunday with about 467 firefighters on scene, and Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a FEMA Fire Management Assistance Grant to support the response.
- Crews will stay in the area for days to extinguish hotspots and prevent rekindling, investigators continue to probe the cause, and local aid programs have mobilized emergency housing and animal care for displaced residents.