Few cities in California last week felt the full brunt of the climate crisis more than the small coastal town of San Clemente.
The beach city at the southern end of Orange County for months has been dealing with widespread coastal erosion from El Niño-related Pacific storms that has threatened a crucial rail line and reshaped swaths of its beaches.
Then, as the waves were still pounding, a fire broke out in the city’s bushy foothills Friday, quickly burning toward hillside neighborhoods and destroying homes in nearby San Juan Capistrano…