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A group of mountain bikers encountered terrifying flames from a destructive wildfire as the dangerous blaze swept across communities in Orange County.
Video footage from a group biking in the area of the Norte Fire showed a towering fireball approaching a hill along the Las Ramblas trail in San Juan Capistrano.
One cyclist is seen in the distance at the crest of the hill as flames and billowing black suddenly appear.
A couple were out biking with their child when they spotted the flames, with the husband saying the fire spread in seconds and separated him from his wife and friend. They were later reunited after escaping the smoke and flames.
The family considered themselves lucky to get out alive.
“Today, God was with us!!!! The fire spread so quickly!!!! My friend was able to catch a glimpse of our crossing, before her meta glasses turned off. Both exits were just as bad. The heat on our faces was terrifying. Fires spreading fast, making it difficult to breathe and see. Thankful we made it out,” the mountain bikers wrote on Instagram.
Former Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt, a wildfire survivor, commented on the family’s predicament.
“It’s not the worst place to be in a wildfire… But it’s definitely not the best,” he wrote on X.
The Norte Fire broke out around 11:30 a.m. Friday in the San Clemente area, growing to 465 acres in about three hours, according to the Orange County Fire Authority and Cal Fire.
The OCFA confirmed six homes had been damaged or destroyed in the blaze.
A firefighter suffered heat exhaustion and another firefighter was hurt, but no other injuries were reported.
Mike Yeun, battalion chief for the OCFA, gave a late-night update Friday, saying crews were working to battle the fire overnight and that evacuations continued. Firefighters are focusing on increasing containment, putting out hot spots, and keeping the fire in its current footprint, he said.
“Our number one objective is safety of the community and our firefighters, and when it’s safe to do so, our second priority would be to get people back into their homes,” he said.
Evacuation orders remained in place Saturday for San Juan Zones 4, 5, and 10, as well as San Clemente Zones 12 and 13.
The fire was one of four burning in Southern California on Saturday.
The Bryson Fire continues to burn in Malibu, with 147 acres torched and 52% containment as of Saturday morning. In Azusa, the Peak Fire had scorched 43.3 acres with 41% containment as of Saturday morning.
Near San Diego, the Henderson Fire near San Diego had burned more than 3,100 acres with 20% containment.