Thousands evacuate as massive California fires engulf homes

A fast-moving wildfire dubbed the Norte Fire broke out on October 15th near San Gabriel Canyon Road and Mirador Drive in Azusa, California. It quickly spread to burn at least six homes by October 17th, forcing over 16,000 residents to evacuate from areas including San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano. The blaze was fueled by strong Santa Ana winds reaching up to 60 mph, causing it to rapidly expand across approximately 570 acres. Firefighters battled the fire into Saturday morning, with over 500 personnel deployed but struggling due to wind-driven conditions that allowed the flames to outpace containment efforts. As of October 18th, evacuation orders were mostly lifted except for a few areas still at risk.