Timelapse Shows Norte Fire Smoke Swelling Into Wall Over California Neighborhood

A timelapse showed thick smoke from the Norte Fire pouring off the hills above southern Orange County neighborhoods and spreading across the sky.

X user Air Reel Productions filmed the scene from high ground above rows of homes and shared it on October 16, 2026.

The video starts with a dense column of dark brown smoke rising from the hills, with a smaller white plume beside it. Strong winds push the smoke sideways as it grows. It turns tan and yellow and merges into a huge wall above the town. Later, it fades to grey and spreads into a hazy layer across the whole horizon.

“Great job by fire departments as it seems to be much more under control,” the filmer wrote.

The fire broke out at about 11:30 a.m. near Portico Del Norte in San Clemente and spread into San Juan Capistrano, fueled by dry brush and Santa Ana winds. It grew from about 10 acres to more than 250 acres in roughly an hour, and to 465 acres by the afternoon.

The Orange County Fire Authority said four homes on Via La Mirada in San Juan Capistrano were impacted. Mandatory evacuation orders were issued for parts of both cities, and nine Capistrano Unified schools dismissed students early.