Roundup: All Four Southern California Wildfires Moving Toward Containment — Henderson at 50%, Norte Evacuations Fully Lifted

All four major wildfires burning in Southern California this week were moving toward containment as of Saturday evening, October 17, with none out of control, according to CAL FIRE's official incident data. Together they have burned about 3,920 acres: the Henderson Fire at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in San Diego County, at 3,160 acres and 50% contained; the Norte Fire in Orange County, at 570 acres and 25% contained; the Bryson Fire in Malibu, Los Angeles County, at 146.2 acres and 61% contained; and the Peak Fire in Azusa, Los Angeles County, at 43.3 acres and 41% contained. Acreage has largely stabilized over the past day while containment has risen on all four fires. Evacuation orders for the Norte and Bryson fires were fully lifted on Saturday, the Henderson Fire's on-base order was lifted earlier, and the Peak Fire's order had previously been downgraded to a warning. Details on each fire follow.

The largest is the Henderson Fire at Camp Pendleton, which began at 2:35 p.m. on October 15 near Henderson Street and Brown Street on the base's west side. CAL FIRE's incident data, updated at 7:24 p.m. on October 17, put it at 3,160 acres with containment jumping from 20% to 50% — the largest single-day gain since the fire began — while acreage rose by just 28 acres from the morning figure, indicating the perimeter has largely stabilized. The evacuation order for the base's Las Flores (41 Area) was lifted on the evening of October 15, no evacuation orders were ever issued for surrounding off-base communities, and temporary evacuation points remain at the Paige Field House in the 11 Area and the 21 Area Fitness Center. Officials still report no structures damaged and no injuries, and the cause remains under investigation. Interstate 5, twice closed in both directions because of flames and smoke, fully reopened on the afternoon of October 16, and the latest official data mentioned no new closure. Next, the San Diego County Incident Management Team is supporting the incident as firefighters continue building containment lines and extinguishing hot spots.

The fire with the most direct impact on residents is the Norte Fire in Orange County, which began at 11:33 a.m. on October 16 near Portico Del Norte and Eminencia Del Norte in San Clemente, under the command of the Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA). CAL FIRE data updated at 10:14 p.m. on October 17 held it at 570 acres and 25% contained, unchanged from the evening briefing. As of 6 p.m. on October 17, all evacuation orders in San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano were lifted, including the last four zones — SJC04, SJC05, SJC10-A and SCL12 — and residents may return home. At its peak the fire placed roughly 16,000 residents under evacuation orders; six homes were damaged or destroyed and two firefighters were taken to a hospital in stable condition. The area north of Via La Mirada Esperanza and the burn scar remain closed. California has secured a federal Fire Management Assistance Grant from FEMA for this fire, with the federal government reimbursing 75% of suppression costs. Next, firefighters will continue patrolling the perimeter and addressing smoke and hot spots inside it.

The Bryson Fire in Malibu, Los Angeles County, burning near Encinal Canyon Road since the night of October 15, stood at 146.2 acres and 61% contained — the highest containment of the four — in CAL FIRE data updated at 6:23 p.m. on October 17. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department announced Saturday evening that all evacuation orders and warnings for this fire have been lifted, with two zones downgraded to advisory status. All roads closed by the fire have reopened, including Topanga Canyon Boulevard; the resident shelter at Agoura High School and the large-animal shelter at Pierce College have closed, and planned precautionary power shutoffs are being canceled. The National Weather Service's red flag warning for Los Angeles County expired at 6 p.m. on October 17. Officials report no structures were damaged or destroyed by this fire. Next, firefighters continue mopping up hot spots across the 146-acre fire area toward full containment.

The smallest of the four is the Peak Fire in Azusa, Los Angeles County, north of San Gabriel Canyon Road and Mirador Drive, which began on the night of October 15. CAL FIRE's update at 8:55 a.m. on October 17 still listed it at 43.3 acres and 41% contained — the same figures produced by a mapping revision on October 15, unchanged for two days, with the fire holding stable. The evacuation order for zone AZU-MC01 was previously downgraded to an evacuation warning. Next, crews continue working inside the fire area toward full containment.

In summary, as of Saturday evening none of the four Southern California fires was out of control, and suppression has shifted from stopping spread to strengthening containment lines and mopping up hot spots. None of the four is fully out yet; this newsroom will continue to follow containment and mop-up progress.

Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)

Photo: 图：Norte Fire 火场周界与疏散分区态势图，Watch Duty 截图（10月17日18时16分截取）。图中标注的570.3英亩为截取时数据；四场山火最新数字以正文所引加州消防局（CAL FIRE）官方事件数据为准。图片来源：Watch Duty。Situation map of the Norte Fire perimeter and evacuation zones, Watch Duty screenshot taken at 6:16 p.m. on Oct. 17. The 570.3 acres shown reflects mapping at capture time; the latest figures for all four fires in the text are from CAL FIRE's official incident data. Source: Watch Duty.

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