Before the Norte fire spread in San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano on Friday, Oct. 16, Gov. Gavin Newsom had already directed officials to pre-position firefighters and other resources in Southern California.
Related: Norte fire burns homes, spreads to 250 acres in San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano
Newsom, on Wednesday, directed the Office of Emergency Services and CAL FIRE to pre-position aircraft, engines, firefighters and other resources and equipment. Resources began deploying in more than a dozen counties on Wednesday, Oct. 14, according to the Office of Emergency Services.
For Orange County, that included five fire engines, one bulldozer, one water tender, one hand crew and one helicopter. A total of 45 firefighters and support personnel were also pre-positioned by 8 a.m. on Thursday, according to the Office of Emergency Services.
“By positioning firefighters, engines, aircraft and specialized equipment in areas facing the greatest risk, we are helping local fire departments respond quickly when every second counts,” Newsom said in a statement earlier this week.
The OC Fire Authority had also increased its response ahead of Friday’s fires, said Mark Backoff, fire chief of Division 3, which covers San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano.
“In anticipation of the fire weather that we’re currently experiencing, we had upstaffed a bunch of resources and placed them in strategic areas to anticipate potential fires and their growth,” Backoff said in a social media video on Friday.
Additional state resources could be sent to Orange County.
The Office of Emergency Services, which is under the umbrella of the governor’s office, said local fire and law enforcement agencies determine when conditions require additional services and can request more support from the state. Local officials, the office said, coordinate staging locations and response assignments.
“When a wildfire starts, minutes matter,” the Office of Emergency Services said in a provided statement. “By pre-positioning firefighters and equipment in communities before dangerous fire weather arrives, California helps local responders act quickly to keep new fires small and protect lives. This early action puts resources closer to where they may be needed, strengthening our ability to support communities when conditions change.”
Dubbed the Norte fire, the fire initially grew to about 10 acres before expanding to an estimated 50 to 70 acres by 12:20 p.m., driven by wind and terrain. The Orange County Fire Authority later reported the fire had reached more than 460 acres. Multiple homes in San Juan Capistrano were reported burning by early afternoon Friday.
Another brush fire charred 1,400 acres on Camp Pendleton on Thursday. And still another brush fire off Interstate 5 near San Onofre prompted the entire freeway to be shut down in North San Diego County on Friday, the California Highway Patrol reported.
The latest tally from the Office of Emergency Services Friday showed five engines and 17 firefighters and support personnel had been pre-positioned in Riverside County. San Bernardino County had five engines, one hand crew and 37 firefighters and support personnel.
Los Angeles city and county saw 15 fire engines, two bulldozers, two water tenders, two hand crews, two helicopters and 86 firefighters and support personnel pre-positioned. Five engines, one water tender, one hand crew and 40 firefighters and support personnel were pre-positioned in San Diego County.