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Orange County wildfire grows as evacuations ordered; Plaza Hotel to…

The Norte Fire began around eleven-thirty this morning near Portico Del Norte, and the Orange County Fire Authority says wind is driving its fast growth.

On air: Chip Darnell and Gloria Vance on The Five O'Clock
Published 4:19 PM ET, Friday, October 16, 2026

Photo: Don Ramey Logan · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0

▶ As it aired · U.S.

Watch it as it aired: Chip Darnell and Gloria Vance on this story, from The Five O'Clock at 4:19 PM ET. Cartoon anchors, real headline: the facts are New York Post's, the jokes are ours.

Photo: Orange County, California — Photo: Don Ramey Logan · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · altered by BBN, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0

At a glance

First reported by New York Post: “Who wins and who gets burned as The Plaza goes dark for four years”.
Covered on BBN on Friday, October 16, 2026, at 4:19 PM ET on The Five O'Clock, by Chip Darnell and Gloria Vance.

The real story

The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.

New York PostWho wins and who gets burned as The Plaza goes dark for four years

What BBN said about it

Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorA fast-moving wildfire in Orange County, California, this afternoon. The Norte Fire broke out around eleven-thirty Eastern today near Portico Del Norte.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorAccording to the Orange County Fire Authority, it grew to at least fifty acres within minutes, pushed by wind, and evacuation orders are in place as structures are threatened.
Gloria Vance · World News AnchorWind is what turns a brush fire into an emergency.
Gloria Vance · World News AnchorResidents in the evacuation zone should follow the instructions from local officials and not wait to see what the fire does.
Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorAbsolutely, Gloria. We will pass along updates as the fire authority releases them.

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