Update: All Norte Fire Evacuation Orders Lifted; San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano Residents May Return Home
Evacuees from Orange County's Norte Fire can go home tonight. In an evening update on October 17, CAL FIRE said all evacuation orders for the cities of San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano were lifted effective 6 p.m., and residents may return home. The fire remains at 570 acres with containment at 25%, unchanged from the late-afternoon update.
The lift covers the last four zones still under orders: SJC04, SJC05 and SJC10-A in San Juan Capistrano, and SCL12 in San Clemente. Together with SCL13 and SJC10-B, which were cleared at midday, every evacuation order issued for this fire has now been rescinded.
The area around the fire is not fully open, however: the area north of Via La Mirada Esperanza and the burn scar remain closed, and the public should stay out. Fire officials note that hot spots and fire vehicles remain in the area, and returning residents should watch for further official notices.
The fire broke out at 11:33 a.m. on October 16 near Portico Del Norte and Eminencia Del Norte in San Clemente and is being managed by the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA). Driven by Santa Ana winds, it at one point placed about 16,000 residents under evacuation orders; six homes were damaged or destroyed, and two firefighters were hospitalized in stable condition. California has secured a FEMA Fire Management Assistance Grant for the fire, with the federal government reimbursing 75% of firefighting costs. The cause remains under investigation.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：Norte Fire 态势图，Watch Duty 截图（美西时间10月17日13时50分截取）。图中红色周界为火场范围，标注的570.3英亩为州消防情报（FIRIS）航测数据，与加州消防局官方公布的570英亩相符。图中着色分区为截图时仍在疏散令下的区域，该批疏散令已于10月17日18时全部解除；最新数据以正文为准。图片来源：Watch Duty。 Situation map of the Norte Fire, Watch Duty screenshot taken at 1:50 p.m. PDT on Oct. 17. The red outline is the fire perimeter; the 570.3-acre label is FIRIS aerial-mapping data, consistent with CAL FIRE's official 570 acres. The zones shaded in the screenshot were still under evacuation orders when it was taken; all orders were lifted at 6 p.m. on Oct. 17. See the text for the latest figures. Source: Watch Duty.
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