Updated: Oct 16, 2026 / 07:51 PM PDT
There arefive notable wildfires burning across Southern CaliforniaFriday as the region continues to see a dangerous mix of 90-degree temperatures and dry, windy conditions.
Hundreds of firefighters are actively battling the Norte, Bryson, Henderson, Scales and Peak fires across Southern California. The Norte and Bryson fires are especially concerning, as they continue to threaten hundreds of homes.
The Norte Fire has damaged or destroyed at least six homes near the border of San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente as of Friday evening. The fire also injured two firefighters, one of which was hospitalized with heat exhaustion, fire officials said Friday.
[A separate article noted Gov Newscum prepositioned firefighters in Orange County before the Santa Ana wind event. https://www.ocregister.com/2026/10/16/california-pre-positioned-firefighters-and-other-resources-in-orange-county-ahead-of-norte-fire/]
The threat of destructive wildfires will persist into the weekend. The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning, which is in effect through at least Saturday evening.
Norte Fire
Date started: Oct. 16, 2026
Location: San Juan Capistrano and San Clemente
Size: 570 acres
Containment: 0%
Evacuation orders: Click here
"A wildfire that exploded across hundreds of acres straddling San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano, destroying several multimillion-dollar homes and prompting widespread evacuation orders, was 0% contained Saturday." https://mynewsla.com/fire/2026/10/17/norte-fire-scorches-homes-and-brush-in-san-clemente-san-juan-capistrano/
Bryson Fire
Date started: Oct. 15, 2026
Location: Malibu hills
Size: 147 acres
Containment: 39%
Evacuation orders: Click here
Henderson Fire
Date started: Oct. 15, 2026
Location: South of Camp Pendleton in San Diego County
Size: 2,079 acres
Containment 20%
Evacuation orders: Click here
Peak Fire
Date started: Oct. 15, 2026
Location: Azusa
Size: 43 acres
Containment: 41%
Evacuation orders: Click here
Scales Fire
Date started: Oct. 16, 2026
Location: North of San Onofre State Beach in San Diego County
Size: 20 acres
Containment: 100%
Evacuation orders: Click here
https://ktla.com/news/california/all-the-wildfires-burning-across-southern-california-right-now/
"Some of California's worst wildfires have been sparked by power equipment, and utilities in recent years have begun proactively shutting off power in dry winds. More than 118,000 customers in California were without electricity as of Friday, according to poweroutage.com.
"The weather service also issued a red flag warning for parts of central and Northern California through Friday morning, saying any fires would spread rapidly."
…
"Tens of thousands of people in the state are without power after their electricity was turned off. A separate fire by the Marine Corps base Camp Pendleton shut down for hours a section of Interstate 5 that is a major artery connecting Orange County to San Diego. That added hours to commutes throughout Southern California.
"The coastal cities are surrounded by hillsides. San Juan Capistrano, a city of 35,000, is known for horse trails and the historic Mission San Juan Capistrano. San Clemente, which is home to 62,000 people, is known as a "Spanish village by the sea" and popular with beachgoers and surfers.
"The fire is right up on the city," said Victor Cabral, a San Clemente Council member. "It's on the perimeter of our homes on the north end."
https://www.npr.org/2026/10/17/g-s1-148569/coastal-homes-burn-in-california-fires