Southern California Fire Burns Structures as Winds Intensify

(Bloomberg) -- A fast-moving wildfire in Orange County burned structures and forced evacuations Friday as powerful Santa Ana winds fueled a growing outbreak of fires across Southern California. 

The Norte Fire in San Clemente emerged on Friday, prompting evacuation orders and burning 250 acres (101 hectares) as of 2:00 p.m. local time. Live footage from KABC showed the fire burning structures and threatening homes nearby. 

San Juan Capistrano School District sports and after school programs were canceled, the district said on social media, and a number of schools were dismissed early Friday.

Meanwhile, at least one firefighter was injured and hundreds more are scrambling to contain a Malibu wildfire before dangerous winds ramp up again Friday.

The Bryson Fire in Los Angeles County is among several conflagrations that have erupted in Southern California. Bryson had burned just 147 acres as of 10:39 a.m. local time Friday.

But with more than 7,200 structures threatened and just 17% of the perimeter under containment, county officials said at a briefing Friday morning that they were mounting a large response before a multi-day Santa Ana windstorm causes conditions to deteriorate further.

Gusts near the Bryson Fire footprint may reach 60 miles (97 kilometers) per hour by Friday afternoon, according to the US National Weather Service. At higher elevations through the San Gabriel Mountains, winds may top out closer to 80 mph.

“This morning through this afternoon is our most critical period of time during this red flag event,” said Kevin McGowan, director of the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management. “Strong winds and very dry conditions will continue to cause fire starts to spread rapidly.”

The Bryson Fire sits within 10 miles of major burn scars left behind in recent years. The fast-moving Franklin Fire destroyed 20 structures around Malibu just before Christmas 2024. A few weeks later, in early January 2025, the devastating Eaton and Palisades fires killed 31 people and inflicted billions in damages in the region.

Though Santa Ana winds also fueled those blazes, weather service forecaster Rich Thompson said current fire conditions in Southern California are nowhere near as severe. Some areas have recently received rain that may limit fire spread. 

Ahead of the 2025 fires, “we’d had no rain for months,” Thompson said. “It’s not the same level at all, though it’s still very concerning.” 

As of Friday morning, more than 400 personnel had been deployed to fight the Malibu blaze. One had been transported to the hospital with minor injuries, according to Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone.

The largest blaze active in Southern California is the Henderson Fire in San Diego County, near Camp Pendleton. Almost 2,100 acres had burned, with the fire 0% contained, as of midday Friday. The fire prompted the closure of north and southbound lanes on Interstate 5, according to the California Department of Transportation.

In a bid to avoid starting new fires, PG&E Corp. and Edison International’s Southern California utility — two of California’s biggest electricity providers — have shut down circuits serving tens of thousands of customers this week. Edison had turned off power to more than 135,000 customers as of 2:30 p.m. local time.

Edison said restoration work may begin as soon as Saturday.

--With assistance from Sarah Gray, Julia Amann and Brian Eckhouse.