California wildfire spreads rapidly on 'devil winds,' prompting evacuations

The Norte Fire in California is spreading rapidly, driven by strong winds, damaging multiple homes and forcing residents to evacuate.

The blaze broke out around noon Friday (local time) near residential areas in San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano in Orange County, and had grown to 570 acres (about 2.3 square kilometers) by evening, with 0 percent containment, according to CNN and other media reports.

Fire department crews are focused on keeping the flames from spreading beyond the current fire zone. Six homes were destroyed or damaged, and two firefighters suffered serious injuries and are receiving treatment at a nearby hospital.

Evacuation orders have been issued for surrounding areas, covering about 4,600 households and 16,000 residents.

The fire broke out across Southern California on Friday, driven by the Santa Ana winds — the dry seasonal gusts known as the "devil winds."

In Malibu, the Bryson Fire, which also broke out Friday, had prompted evacuation orders or warnings for more than 7,000 structures as of that day.

Gusts of up to about 40 kilometers per hour were recorded in San Juan Capistrano that afternoon.

The Orange County Fire Authority said the winds remain "quite strong" and warned that embers carried by the Santa Ana winds could spark new fires. The Santa Ana winds are forecast to blow strongly through Saturday before weakening later in the weekend.