Man helps mother and son evacuate as Norte Fire approaches

Justin Ziegler helped a mother and her 6-year-old son leave their San Juan Capistrano home as the Norte Fire approached Friday, NBC Los Angeles reported. He said he returned hours later to find their home intact and three other houses destroyed.

The account describes a family's evacuation from an Orange County hillside neighborhood as flames neared homes. Ziegler estimated the fire was about 300 feet from the houses when he encountered the scene.

Ziegler told NBC Los Angeles he received a fire alert on his phone early Friday afternoon and drove into the hills to see what was burning.

He reached Via La Mirada, a street leading toward the burning hillside, where he spotted the mother and child. He said he had found himself amid the fire while trying to get a view of the valley.

Video shows Ziegler at the family's front door, urging the woman to evacuate as flames approached, according to NBC Los Angeles.

Ziegler said he helped the mother and boy get into their car. He watched them drive away before leaving the neighborhood himself.

When he returned hours later, Ziegler said, three houses had been destroyed. The family's home remained intact, he told the station.

Ziegler said the woman later thanked him for knocking on her door and urging her family to leave, according to NBC Los Angeles.