A fast moving brush fire is raging in Ventura County in California, forcing more than 10,000 people to evacuate, according to reports.
So far, the Mountain Fire has burned more than 14,100 acres to the northeast of the city of Oxnard, which is around 60 miles northwest of Los Angeles. It began near the 7900 block of Balcom Canyon Road and Bradley Road at approximately 8:50 a.m. local time Wednesday. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
As of Wednesday evening, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CalFire) said the blaze is zero percent contained. Mandatory evacuations are in place across eight zones, and roads around the fire have been closed. According to AP, around 3,500 properties are under threat.
The blaze grew from less than half of a square mile to more than 16 square miles in just over five hours, AP has reported.
Numerous properties have been destroyed and others damaged, with official tallies not yet available as officials say it is unsafe to survey the area. CNN reports that at least two people have been injured.
“Numerous structures have been impacted by this fast-moving fire,” the Ventura County Fire Department said in a Wednesday evening update on X, formerly Twitter. “Due to safety concerns, damage estimates will begin tomorrow.” It also confirmed 800 firefighters were working to put out the blaze.
“This is a dangerous fire that’s spreading quickly and threatening lives,” Governor Gavin Newsom said in a statement. “State resources have been mobilized to protect communities, and this federal support from the Biden-Harris administration will give state and local firefighters the resources they need to save lives and property as they continue battling this aggressive fire.”
National News Channel journalist Chaudhary Parvez posted an image of a home in flames as a firefighting aircraft flew overhead. “Firefighting operations continue through the night with both ground resources and night flying helicopters,” he wrote on X.
AB7 Eyewitness News has reported that “dozens of homes” have been destroyed. One man, Steve Taylor, lost his Camarillo home of nearly 40 years. Another couple who moved in only a year ago also lost their home.
The fire has been exacerbated by dry air and powerful Santa Ana winds, which are dry, warm, and gusty, blowing from the northeast and originating in Southern California’s interior and moving toward the coast and offshore.
Unlike the usual onshore flow that brings moist air from the Pacific Ocean, Santa Ana winds push in the opposite direction. They typically occur in the fall and continue through winter and early spring.
The National Weather Service has a high wind warning in place for the area until 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 7.
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