After assessing the devastation brought by the Mountain Fire in Ventura County, California Governor Gavin Newsom declared that he would sign an emergency declaration on Thursday to assist teams in extinguishing the flames.
Fueled by strong Santa Ana winds, the wildfire, spanning nearly 21,000 acres, compelled thousands to evacuate their residences. It rapidly expanded by thousands of acres, leading to injuries and destruction of homes.
Within five hours, the blaze escalated to over 10,000 acres and consumed an additional 4,000 acres by 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, according to authorities. It ignited around 8:50 a.m. on South Mountain in the Moorpark vicinity, near the intersection of Balcom Canyon Road and Bradley Road, as reported by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire.
As of Thursday night, Cal Fire officials noted that the wildfire had reached 20,485 acres, while containment efforts had brought the situation to 5% contained.
“This occurred yesterday,” Newsom remarked while observing the remnants of a destroyed home. “It’s remarkable how rapidly this fire spread and how extensive it has become.”
Mandatory evacuation orders were broadened overnight, with Santa Paula being the latest area where residents were required to leave, Ventura County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff stated at a Thursday morning press briefing.
“We understand this is an agonizing time, and our thoughts are with each of you,” Fryhoff expressed to evacuees and those affected in the vicinity. “The fire peril remains extraordinarily high.”
Residents in Camarillo, Somis, and Moorpark also faced evacuation as the conflagration intensified.
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“We initially engaged in defending structures, ensuring life safety, and undertaking heroic measures across the incident,” Ventura County Fire Captain Trevor Johnson stated.
Newsom mentioned that over 10,000 individuals were evacuated due to the fire threatening approximately 3,500 homes, businesses, and other infrastructures. The Federal Emergency Management Agency allocated funding to support firefighting efforts, as stated by Newsom.
Authorities reported that at least 14,000 individuals had been instructed to evacuate, according to Fryhoff.
The fire progressed southwestward from Wednesday into Thursday, with helicopters continuously conducting water drops throughout the night, Johnson described, noting this was “unusual for any wildland incident.”
“Our current focus is on the northeast flank of the fire, situated north of Somis and south of Santa Paula in the Santa Susana Mountain range,” Johnson said. “That area poses challenges due to its rugged, steep terrain, accessible only by our most skilled firefighters.”
Multiple environmental factors converged to ignite the blaze and propel it across thousands of acres, including the accumulation of dry brush from exceptionally wet periods in the area, combined with the forceful Santa Ana winds, according to Drew Smith, a fire behavior analyst with the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
“We are emerging from two years of above-average precipitation, which created a very lush grass component,” Smith explained. “The presence of these fine fuels, which readily ignite in warm, dry, windy conditions, fosters significant fire growth when high winds are present.”
“When these environmental factors align, it results in a combustible fuel bed,” he added, noting strong winds can spread embers up to three miles, facilitating “significant fire escalation.”
Homes lost, injuries reported as residents evacuate
Ventura County officials reported that 10 individuals suffered injuries, primarily due to smoke inhalation. During an overnight shelter stay in Camarillo, American Red Cross spokesman David Wagner indicated that nurses treated minor injuries like scrapes and burns that people sustained while escaping the fires. The shelter offered families beds and meals during the evacuation period.
Damage assessment teams continued to evaluate the destruction on Thursday to ascertain the extent of the damage. As of Thursday evening, they reported 132 buildings destroyed and 88 more damaged.
Several evacuees recounted their experiences of helping friends, family, and neighbors escape the advancing fire as it ravaged areas of Camarillo, Moorpark, and Somis. Dozens of schools announced closures, thousands encountered power shutoffs, and the city of Ventura asked residents to conserve water so sufficient resources were available for firefighting efforts.
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Approximately 2,200 firefighters are responding, prioritizing life-saving actions, according to authorities.
“Our primary focus at Ventura County Fire, while managing this incident, is life safety,” firefighter and Ventura County Fire spokesperson Andrew Dowd stated on Wednesday. “We implore all residents in the affected zones to adhere to evacuation orders. Ensuring safety is our topmost priority.”
Wind gusts in the Mountain Fire region reached 39 mph in Moorpark and Simi Valley Thursday morning, with a high wind advisory anticipated to last until 4 p.m., after which winds are expected to diminish to about 15 mph.
Evacuation mandates
The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office has instituted evacuation orders affecting thousands of residents in Camarillo, Somis, and near the Santa Clara River. As the fire continued its southward trajectory Thursday morning, evacuation orders were enacted in the Camarillo vicinity, including near the Las Posas Country Club and Sterling Hills Golf Club, due to the fire’s direction.
“All evacuation orders and alerts remain active due to the extreme fire risk,” officials stated in a Thursday morning update.
A real-time evacuation order map is available here.
“If you’re in the vicinity of the fire, and you detect smoke, you should be ready to leave,” Ventura County Fire Chief Dustin Gardner warned. He also cautioned against attempting to stay behind to protect properties.
“This happens repeatedly. Individuals often aim to stay and safeguard their homes right until the flames reach their properties,” Gardner stated. “Once the fire arrives, it becomes perilous, smoky, and visibility is compromised, making it impossible to defend your home. Don’t risk it… Your material possessions can be replaced, but your loved ones cannot.”
Authorities established an evacuation center at Padre Serra Parish, located at 5205 Upland Road in Camarillo.
Residents with larger pets were directed to the Ventura County Fairgrounds, located at 10 E. Harbor Boulevard, whereas smaller pets can be brought to the Ventura County Animal Shelter near Camarillo Airport, at 600 Aviation Drive.
As of Thursday, road closures were in effect at the following locations:
- Northbound Lewis Road at Las Posas
- Eastbound Highway 118 at Wells Road
- Westbound Highway 118 at Tierra Rejada Road
School closures
Numerous schools in Ventura County closed due to the Mountain Fire, with some campuses shutting down due to poor air quality stemming from the large wildfire, and others due to power shutoffs implemented by utility companies to mitigate further fire risks.
Certain schools have adopted measures such as keeping students indoors at those that remain operational, amid widespread smoke and ash in the atmosphere.
“Our hearts ache for the families in Camarillo who have been displaced,” stated the Pleasant Valley School District during their closure announcement. “We recognize that our students have been impacted by today’s events. Upon resuming classes, all schools will incorporate plans to address the mental health needs of our students.”
A comprehensive list of school closures can be found here.
Intense Santa Ana winds intensify flames
The fire occurs amid severe winds impacting much of Southern California, prompting National Weather Service officials to issue Red Flag Warnings. In this case, they declared a “Particularly Dangerous Situation” advisory, a unique weather alert rarely issued due to exceptionally grave conditions.
Meteorologists observed gusts surpassing 60 mph as the fire roared Wednesday. Winds calmed on Thursday, with gusts anticipated to be around 30 mph until noon, after which they are expected to decrease further.
Rich Thompson, an incident meteorologist with the National Weather Service, noted that some of the extreme Red Flag conditions had lessened by Thursday, though Santa Ana winds may still gust from the northeast at approximately 25 to 35 mph in the afternoon.
“This morning, conditions have improved somewhat, so now we only have a standard Red Flag warning active for the area,” Thompson noted, adding that significantly low humidity would persist throughout the day while winds would taper off later into the afternoon.
The intense winds grounded firefighting fixed-wing aircraft within the first hours of the wildfire, complicating containment efforts, fire officials indicated.
Dr. Josh Fisher, a climate scientist at Chapman University, stated that various factors converged, causing the wildfire to advance rapidly across hillsides and neighborhoods in Ventura County.
“Fire spreads more quickly upwards, ” Fisher explained. “We have the combination of topography, wind, and plant conditions — coupled with proximity to roads and residences — all contributing to a situation far worse than it could have been if wind conditions were calm and vegetation was moist.”
Authorities are still investigating the cause of the fire.
Community response
As the situation evolved with flames devastating vast tracts of land within hours, residents were compelled to act quickly to evacuate their homes.
“We’ve never experienced anything like this. We never anticipated such an event,” commented Ken Levin, a resident near the Spanish Hills area. “However, the fire department is on-site, constructing fire breaks on our property, and the winds are mostly southward. We feel optimistic about our situation… I think we will be alright.”
“I am grateful for the firefighters who are here for us in our hour of need,” he added.
In Camarillo, a woman rushing to assist her friend with their evacuation shared her harrowing experience. “She was extremely shaken and unable to clearly communicate what to take, and I felt rattled too,” Cindi Hitt described. “Eventually, I recognized I had to leave. It was time to exit.”
However, Hitt faced close calls during her attempted escape, getting her car stuck just as she tried to flee. “My vehicle got trapped just a few feet from the flames,” she recalled. “Thankfully, the firefighters were right there, and they were incredibly supportive.”
With their help, Hitt was able to get her vehicle unstuck, enabling her and her friend to escape. She urged others in the vicinity to leave immediately. “It was terrifying. My only advice is… Do not delay,” Hitt stressed.
