Injuries were reported and homes were destroyed in a Southern California wildfire that began Wednesday and, fueled by high winds, rapidly grew to over 10,000 acres, officials said.
The Mountain Fire in Ventura County prompted evacuation orders, and the blaze grew amid what fire officials called a significant Santa Ana wind event that increased the fire risk for the region.
Firefighters who arrived at the scene of the brush fire, which broke out between the communities of Moorpark and Somis, “were faced with a tough firefight,” Ventura County Fire Capt. Trevor Johnson said.
The fire was moving so fast that firefighters got residents out of their homes and drove them out of the area in fire engines because of the danger, he said.
“Firefighters were right off the bat engaged in pulling people out of their houses and saving lives,” Johnson said.
The fire department did not have a count for the number of structures destroyed.
The fire began at 8:51 a.m. local time, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said. It was 0% contained Wednesday afternoon, and what sparked it was under investigation.
High winds prevented fixed-wing aircraft from helping to fight the flames, the Ventura County Fire Department said.
“Ground crews, helicopters and mutual aid resources are actively working to protect lives and property,” a spokesperson for the department said on X.
The spokesperson said several people were injured and taken to hospitals.
News helicopter video showed homes destroyed in a residential neighborhood and firefighters trying to put out the flames at another. Other homes were burning.
The fire jumped State Route 118 and part of it was closed due to fire on both sides of the freeway, the California Department of Transportation said. The highway was closed from Santa Clara Avenue to Tierra Rejada Road.
Smoke was also limiting visibility and slowing traffic on the busy 101 freeway, south of the state route, the department said on X.
High winds caused spot fires to ignite 2 1/2 miles away in front of the site of the original blaze, Ventura County Fire Chief Dustin Gardner said.
“Bushes are burning, grass is burning, hedgerows are burning, agricultural fields are burning, and structures are burning,” Gardner said. “This fire is moving dangerously fast.”
The National Weather Service said high winds gusting up to around 60 mph were creating extreme fire risk Wednesday. A gust around the fire area was recorded at 54 mph, it said.
A camera from the UC San Diego public safety program ALERTCalifornia showed the fire’s spread.
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