Multiple Southern California homes are ablaze in a fast-moving wildfire fueled by hot, windy weather

The cities are in southern Orange County near the coast and surrounded by hillsides. San Juan Capistrano, a city of 35,000, is known for horse trails while nearby San Clemente, which is home to 62,000 people, is known as a “Spanish village by the sea” and popular with beachgoers and surfers.

Victor Cabral, a city council member in San Clemente, said fire officials told him four homes have burned in nearby San Juan Capistrano.

Schools have been closed and activities canceled, and thousands were being asked to evacuate, he said.

“The fire is right up on the city,” he said. “It’s on the perimeter of our homes on the north end.”

Officials have opened a community center with cots, food and water for those in need, he said.

The Orange County Fire Authority said two evacuation shelters have been opened, one in each city, and asked those under evacuation orders to “leave now.”

A blaze in Malibu, a coastal town west of Los Angeles, prompted evacuation orders and warnings for a large swath of the Santa Monica Mountains. A large cloud of black smoke over the hilltops could be seen on nearby cameras and miles away.

Winds from 20 mph to 35 mph (32 kph to 56 kph) were expected Friday, with gusts forecast to reach 50 mph up to 70 mph (80 kph to 112 kph) in some areas, the National Weather Service said.

With humidity levels dropping, “this will favor a critical fire weather threat,” the service said early Friday.

More than 400 firefighters battled the Bryson Fire overnight, which was at 250 acres (100 hectares) on Friday morning. It had threatened a Los Angeles County juvenile detention and rehabilitation facility, which was evacuated Thursday night.

The most critical fire weather will be seen through Friday afternoon, when the strongest and longest-lasting winds are expected, said Kevin McGowan, director of the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management. Weather conditions that increase the fire risk were expected to last through Saturday night.

“Strong winds and very dry conditions will continue to cause fire starts to spread rapidly, so we’re urging everyone to remain vigilant,” he said.

Santa Ana winds hit Southern California

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who faced criticism for her city’s response to deadly fires in 2025, directed the fire department to deploy personnel and equipment ahead of the winds. The fire department also requested assistance from the state’s office of emergency services.

“It’s a pretty widespread event of elevated fire weather, so the whole SoCal region should really be on alert,” said Rose Schoenfeld, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

The Santa Anas could reach 20 to 40 mph (32 to 64 kph), with gusts from 50 to 70 mph (80 to 113 kph), in the San Gabriel mountains in Los Angeles County and the Santa Susana mountains, which are mostly in Ventura County, Schoenfeld said. Elevated, though brief, critical fire weather conditions were also forecast for portions of the Santa Lucia mountains in San Luis Obispo County.

Firefighters battle several blazes in Southern California

In Orange County, a wind-driven fire that started in the hills of the coastal city of San Clemente quickly grew to 200 acres (81 hectares), prompting the evacuations in San Clemente and in neighboring San Juan Capistrano, where multiple homes were ablaze.

Firefighters on Friday worked to contain two other fires that had sparked Thursday afternoon and triggered evacuation orders in the city of Azusa, north of LA, and Camp Pendleton, near San Diego.

More than 175,000 customers in northern, central and southern California were without electricity as of Friday, according to poweroutage.com.

Some of California’s worst wildfires have been sparked by power equipment, and utilities in recent years have begun proactively shutting off power during dry, windy weather in an effort to prevent blazes.

A wind-driven fire in Azusa burned over 40 acres (16 hectares) on Thursday and briefly prompted evacuation orders for a neighborhood in the foothills of the San Gabriel mountains. Forward progress on the blaze had been stopped by midafternoon.

Farther south, a fire at Camp Pendleton threatened buildings. Evacuation orders were issued in the Las Flores area of the military base and lifted by evening, military officials said in a statement.

Power cuts are widespread in Northern California

In Northern California, some communities in the Sierra Nevada and its foothills began experiencing strong winds, high temperatures and low humidity Wednesday night.

The weather service issued a red flag warning for parts of central and Northern California through Friday morning, saying any fires would spread rapidly. Such warnings are issued when weather conditions create an increased risk of wildfires.

The potential interruption in electricity to customers from the Central Coast to the upper corners of the Sierra Nevada could last through Saturday afternoon, Pacific Gas and Electric Company said.

Hot and windy conditions are expected through the weekend

In Southern California, the Red Flag Warning for the mountainous areas in Ventura and Los Angeles counties was in effect through Friday night.

In January 2025, the Palisades Fire — fanned by Santa Ana winds — ripped through a hillside Los Angeles neighborhood, killing 12 people and destroying mansions with spectacular ocean views. Authorities determined the Palisades Fire was a carryover from another fire that authorities alleged was started intentionally by a 29-year-old man.

Another fire that burned at the same time in the city of Altadena, in Los Angeles County, killed 19 people and destroyed more than 9,400 homes and businesses. That fire was caused by sparks from an idle transmission tower owned by Southern California Edison, officials said.

Schoenfeld said the Santa Ana winds are not going to be as strong as during those fires, when they were gusting 60 to 100 mph (96 to 160 kph).

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Ding reported from Los Angeles.

Olga R. Rodriguez And Jaimie Ding, The Associated Press

by The Canadian Press