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Norte Fire Evacuates 4,600 Homes as Power Cut

By Drooid · Oct 17, 2026, 10:00 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Firefighters Battle Norte

Orange County Fire Authority firefighters battled the fast-moving Norte Fire Friday.
The blaze burned about 570 acres and stayed 0% contained Friday night.
Six homes were damaged or destroyed as flames reached residential streets.
Two firefighters suffered heat exhaustion and were treated at a local hospital.
Authorities ordered evacuations for roughly 4,600 homes and 16,000 residents and opened shelters in San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente.

Summary

PG&E Power Shutdown

PG&E preemptively shut off power for about 62,000 customers across 26 Northern California counties on Wednesday night.
Southern California Edison cut electricity to more than 130,000 customers, including roughly 57,000 households in Los Angeles County.
Los Angeles County allocated $77 million and created 44 new emergency-management positions to strengthen wildfire preparedness.
Interstate 5 closed for several hours after a fire near Camp Pendleton threatened the roadway, causing commuter delays.

History

Historical Context

After the 2018 Camp Fire, California utilities launched the 2019 public-safety power shutoffs, cutting electricity to about 1.3 million customers across 30 counties from October 9 to November 20 to curb wildfire risk. The CPUC allocated $1.5 billion for grid hardening. Today, PG&E and Southern California Edison repeat that strategy during the Orange County Norte Fire, reflecting the state’s escalating climate-driven fire threat.

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Firefighters Battle Norte

Orange County Fire Authority firefighters battled the fast-moving Norte Fire Friday.
The blaze burned about 570 acres and stayed 0% contained Friday night.
Six homes were damaged or destroyed as flames reached residential streets.
Two firefighters suffered heat exhaustion and were treated at a local hospital.
Authorities ordered evacuations for roughly 4,600 homes and 16,000 residents and opened shelters in San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente.

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