CAMARILLO, Calif. (AP) — Southern California firefighters working to contain a wildfire that has destroyed 132 structures in two days could be assisted by a forecast of fierce wind gusts easing early Friday, officials said.
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The Mountain Fire started Wednesday morning in Ventura County and had grown to 32 square miles (about 83 square kilometers) with 5% contained Thursday night.
Some 10,000 people remained under evacuation orders Friday morning as the fire continued to threaten about 3,500 structures in suburban neighborhoods, ranches and agricultural areas around Camarillo in Ventura County.
At least 88 additional structures were damaged in addition to the 132 destroyed, which were mostly homes. Officials did not specify whether they had been burned or affected by water or smoke damage. The cause of the fire has not been determined.
Ten people suffered smoke inhalation or other non-life-threatening injuries, Ventura County Sheriff James Fryhoff said.
Crews working in steep terrain with support from water-dropping helicopters were focusing on protecting homes on hillsides along the fire’s northeast edge near the city of Santa Paula, home to more than 30,000 people, county fire officials said.
Officials in several Southern California counties urged residents to be on watch for fast-spreading blazes, power outages and downed trees during the latest round of notorious Santa Ana winds.
Santa Anas are dry, warm and gusty northeast winds that blow from the interior of Southern California toward the coast and offshore, moving in the opposite direction of the normal onshore flow that carries moist air from the Pacific. They typically occur during the fall months and continue through winter and into early spring.
Ariel Cohen, a National Weather Service’s meteorologist in Oxnard, said Santa Ana winds were subsiding in the lower elevations but remained gusty across the higher elevations Thursday evening.
The red flag warnings, indicating conditions for high fire danger, expired in the area except in the Santa Susana Mountains, where the warnings will expire by 11 a.m. Friday in the mountains. The Santa Anas are expected to return early-to-midweek next week, Cohen said.
The Mountain Fire was burning in a region that has seen some of California’s most destructive fires over the years. The fire swiftly grew from less than half a square mile (about 1.2 square kilometers) to more than 16 square miles (41 square kilometers) in little more than five hours on Wednesday.
By Thursday evening the wildfire was mapped at about 32 square miles (83 square kilometers) and Gov. Gavin Newsom had proclaimed a state of emergency in the county.
California utilities began powering down equipment during high winds and extreme fire danger after a series of massive and deadly wildfires in recent years were sparked by electrical lines and other infrastructure.
Power was shut off to nearly 70,000 customers in five counties over the heightened risk, Southern California Edison said Thursday. Company spokesperson Gabriela Ornelas could not immediately answer whether power had been shut off in the area where the Mountain Fire was sparked.
The wildfires burned in the same areas of other recent destructive infernos, including the 2018 Woolsey Fire, which killed three people and destroyed 1,600 homes near Los Angeles, and the 2017 Thomas Fire, which burned more than a thousand homes and other structures in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. Southern California Edison has paid tens of millions of dollars to settle claims after its equipment was blamed for both blazes.
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Weber reported from Los Angeles. Jaimie Ding and Stefanie Dazio in Los Angeles, Ethan Swope in Camarillo, Eugene Garcia in Santa Paula and Amy Taxin in Orange County, California, Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire, Sarah Brumfield in Washington, D.C., and Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City contributed.
‘We barely made it out’: Californians desperately flee their homes amid raging wildfires
Terrie Morin, 60, and her husband, Dave, were at the barber shop when they heard about a raging wildfire making headway toward their Camarillo home on Wednesday morning.
The couple were hosting two guests at the time, but because their guests worked late, Morin suspected they slept through the residence’s fire alarms.
“I run in the house, and I’m banging on the door, and they did not hear me. They were knocked out,” Morin told CNN. “Get the dog. Get out of here. You don’t have time, just get out!” she recalled telling them.
Ten minutes later, Dave noticed sparks in their backyard. The temperature was also picking up.
“It was hot. It was so hot,” Morin recalled.
Dozens of homes in California’s Ventura County were set alight in a sweeping wildfire that burned through thousands of acres of land in just a matter of hours midweek –– prompting authorities to send more than 14,000 evacuation notices across the region.
The Mountain Fire began early Wednesday and was driven by winds gusting over 60 mph. The flames have seared through more than 20,485 acres of land, according to Cal Fire.
The families who evacuated at a moment’s notice, some who say they have now lost their homes, must deal with other losses that can also be devastating, from daily essentials like medications and shoes to meaningful possessions such as sculptures and artwork, to treasured keepsakes from the birth of a child or the life of a parent.
At least 132 properties have been destroyed by the fire, while 88 have been left damaged, Ventura County Fire Department officials said Thursday evening. Ten damage inspection teams have been deployed to inspect structures along the path of the blaze.
Ten people endured non-life-threatening injuries from the Mountain Fire, which are mostly related to smoke inhalation, Ventura County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff said.
Making a run for it
By the time Morin, her husband and their friends got out of the house, the fire had caught on to the surrounding trees. Smoke was everywhere, she told CNN.
In a panic, the California native grabbed her husband’s diabetes medication, her laptop, and some dresses, but she couldn’t get hold of everything she wanted in time –– including clothes and other memorabilia from when her son was a baby.
The four adults made their escape through clouds of thick smoke.
“We couldn’t see anything. We were basically driving just in the smoke. (Dave) was freaking out. And I was telling him, ‘Dave, pull over. Let me take the wheel. I’m OK. Pull over,’” Morin said.
Fire officials implored most residents to evacuate, but some stayed
According to the sheriff’s office, a total of 400 homes were evacuated by officials, while 800 homes that were door-knocked appeared to have already been evacuated; 250 residents chose to stay, Fryhoff said.
“We see it over and over and over: People have the best intentions to stay and defend their home right up until the time the fire hits their home,” Ventura County Fire Chief Dustin Gardner said.
“And it gets hot, and it gets smoky. You can’t see, you can’t breathe, and you sure as hell can’t defend your home. And then you’re stuck, and then our firefighters have to get in, pull you out.”
Some, with fireproofing in the structures of their homes, were exceptions. Steven Snyder was one of them.
Synder, a resident of Camarillo, went to bed on Wednesday as the Mountain Fire raged around his fireproofed home.
“When I looked out the window it looked like little campfires that were sparking up,” Snyder told CNN, adding that he watched the fire come over the hill in his direction.
When Snyder woke up on Thursday, the land around him was charred. Many of his neighbors’ homes were on fire.
Fire personnel in the area urged Snyder, his wife, daughter, and 7-week-old granddaughter to stay home. The family had lost power but had plenty of water and food –– which they shared with fire personnel.
Firefighters have been working aggressively to gain control of the Mountain Fire by dropping water from helicopters. The fire, which was at 0% containment for over 24 hours is now at 5% containment, according to Cal Fire.
The worst of the winds, which prompted the fire to spread more quickly on Wednesday through Thursday morning, were gusting at 30 mph to 40 mph, according to a CNN weather analysis. Winds have been steadily decreasing throughout Thursday afternoon, and conditions are set to improve with humidity increasing through the weekend.
Winds will blow at 5 mph to 10 mph Friday –– a huge improvement from the gusts of 60 mph earlier this week.
Red flag warnings have expired for the Los Angeles area and will expire for the Los Angeles and Ventura County Mountains by Friday at 11 a.m. PST.
The cause remains unknown
Though reasons for the Mountain Fire’s rapid spread are clear, its cause remains unknown, a Ventura County fire official said Thursday morning.
The county fire department’s investigation unit is working on several things, including determining whether power lines were involved in causing the fire, Johnson said when asked about power lines as a possible cause.
“I could tell you that there could be a million things that start a fire,” Johnson said. “When a fire like that breaks, we don’t initially go to ‘What started this?’ Our job is to bring stabilization, so we went immediately to work in that regard.”
Other devastating wildfires have previously been blamed on fallen power lines that remained energized, prompting power companies to plan for broad shutoffs before that can happen again.
As a precaution, Southern California Edison, Southern California’s main electric provider, cut off power intentionally overnight Wednesday to 69,931 customers – including 23,603 in Ventura County – as part of its Public Safety Power Shutoff plan.
Fall marks a critical inflection point for California’s fire season.
The combination of very windy and very dry conditions primes the landscape, turning it into tinder-dry fuel that can easily catch fire with the smallest spark and then spread rapidly in high winds.
As the world warms due to fossil fuel pollution, scenarios like the Mountain Fire could play out more frequently.
The number of extreme fall fire-weather days in California has more than doubled since the early 1980s because of warmer and drier autumns as global temperatures rise, CNN previously reported.
Over 14,000 under evacuation orders in California as fire crews battle dangerous wildfire and rescue people from homes ablaze
Firefighters are rescuing people from homes engulfed in flames as they battle a wildfire moving at a dangerously fast speed in a dense suburban neighborhood northwest of Los Angeles.
Roughly 50 miles south of the Mountain Fire in Ventura County, another brush fire on the highway in Malibu burned 50 acres before fire crews stopped its forward progress and contained it at 15%, the Los Angeles County Fire Department said.
At least two people have been injured and several structures have been damaged or destroyed by the Mountain Fire, which rapidly expanded in size due to a combination of very dry air and powerful Santa Ana winds, prompting National Weather Service forecasters to issue a series of alerts and warnings earlier in the day.
It’s not yet clear how many structures are impacted because it’s too dangerous for damage inspection teams to be on the ground, according to Ventura County fire officials.
“The hair on the back of the firefighter’s neck I’m sure was standing up,” Ventura County Fire Captain Trevor Johnson said at a news conference while discussing one of the rescues on Wednesday. “This is a day where you’re truly prepared to do every part of your job and risk everything to save everything.”
The strong winds are allowing fire embers to travel with the smoke over a range of two and a half miles, as more than 14,000 people remain under evacuation orders, the fire department said.
Firefighters have conducted intense rescues under dangerous conditions, pulling people from houses and rescuing others from streets engulfed in flames, officials said.
The Storm Prediction Center has issued an “extremely critical” level 3 of 3 risk for fire weather conditions in parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties in Southern California.
The Mountain Fire: Ventura County
- In Ventura County, 140 firefighters using 58 fire engines and trucks are working to contain the Mountain Fire on South Mountain, according to the Ventura County Fire Department.
- Two people were taken to the hospital due to smoke inhalation injuries, fire officials said at a news conference. Earlier in the day, the department said several people had been injured, but they could not yet specify the total number of injuries.
- Aerial video from CNN affiliate KABC shows mist-like smoke over a dense suburban neighborhood, sporadically dotted with houses burning from embers from the main fire. Some homes have burnt down to the studs with little left. In the background, a large plume of dark smoke looms over the mountainside neighborhood.
- The fire is moving at a “dangerous rate of spread,” burning agricultural fields and hedgerows in the area, Ventura County Fire Chief Dustin Gardner said at a news conference.
- The Mountain Fire is estimated at 10,480 acres with 0% containment as of Wednesday evening, according to Ventura County.
- Firefighters are conducting intense rescues on the ground while operating under smoke conditions and limited visibility that have made it unsafe for helicopters to operate, according to Johnson.
- “This is a day where you’re truly prepared to do every part of your job and risk everything to save everything,” Johnson said.
- Additional helicopters have been requested to assist, the department said.
- The fire is spreading, having crossed a highway, according to the fire department.
- Evacuation orders are in effect for nearby areas and shelters have been set up for those that need them, the sheriff’s office said.
- “Due to extreme wind conditions, fixed-wing aircraft are unable to assist in firefighting efforts,” VCFD posted. “Ground crews, helicopters and mutual aid resources are actively working to protect lives and property.”
- The NWS has evacuated its office in Oxnard, located just three miles from the wildfire. In the meantime, its office in San Diego will provide backup operations, according to the office.
The Broad Fire: Malibu
- A brush fire on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu burned 50 acres before firefighters stopped its forward progress Wednesday.
- There were no reported injuries and at least two structures were caught in the fire, LACoFD said.
- According to the NWS in Los Angeles, conditions at the time of the fire showed North-Northwest wind gusts up to 51 mph and humidity at 11%.
A “critical” level 2 of 3 risk for fire weather conditions is in effect in Northern California and much of Southern California.
A rare “particularly dangerous situation” red flag warning, the most extreme form of fire weather warning, is also in effect for Southern California into Thursday.
Forecasters warned earlier this week this setup appears concerningly similar to those responsible for “some of the worst fires in Southern California history.”
The threat of fire starts is so severe that two of the state’s power providers cut off power to thousands of Californians to prevent electrical equipment from sparking them.
More than 11,000 Southern California Edison customers across five counties had power shut off Wednesday morning. Nearly 250,000 customers could be impacted by power shutoffs as conditions warrant, according to the utility’s website.
Thousands of PG&E customers were also affected by power shutoffs by Wednesday morning, according to the utility’s website. Shutoffs will continue through Thursday.
Power equipment can start fires, particularly when conditions are as extreme as forecast through Thursday. PG&E had to pay $45 million in a settlement for its equipment’s role in starting the Dixie Fire – California’s second largest in history – in 2011.
A gust of 85 mph was recorded by Wednesday morning on Magic Mountain with gusts over 70 mph in the nearby Transverse Ranges in Southern California, according to the weather service. Mount St. Helena in Northern California recorded a wind gust of 75 mph.
Winds are expected to ease Thursday for the state, but dry conditions and abundant dry fire fuels will remain. Wildfires will remain a significant concern for the state until the rainy season.
25 million people in California face ‘life-threatening’ fire warning
Powerful winds that fueled fast-moving wildfires across Southern California this week are expected to pick up momentum on Thursday –– worsening conditions for firefighters who are already battling limited visibility to save lives.
The National Weather Service issued a Red Flag warning until 6 p.m. Thursday – which is used to describe “extreme and life-threatening fire behavior.” The warning is expected to affect 25 million people in Southern California and the greater San Francisco Bay area.
Earlier this week, forecasters warned conditions appear concerningly similar to those responsible for “some of the worst fires in Southern California history.”
All schools in Ventura County, northwest of Los Angeles, have been closed through Friday due to the fires.
Here’s the latest:
- Ventura County’s Mountain Fire expanded in size on Wednesday after powerful Santa Ana winds came into contact with very dry air. The blaze is now moving at a “dangerous rate of spread,” Ventura County Fire Chief Dustin Gardner said at a news conference Wednesday, burning agricultural fields and hedgerows in the area.
- At least 800 firefighters and 58 fire engines have been deployed to contain the Mountain Fire on South Mountain. It has been unsafe for helicopters to operate, Fire Captain Trevor Johnson said in a news conference.
- Footage obtained by CNN from the town of Camarillo Hills shows orange embers searing through trees and homes late Wednesday, with structures barely recognizable and many burned to the ground.
- Officials haven’t determined the number of structures that have been damaged. In a statement announcing Federal Emergency Management Agency support for fire rescuers, California Gov. Gavin Newsom estimated roughly 3,500 homes, structures, and businesses have been affected by the Mountain Fire.
- At least two people have been transported to the hospital with possible smoke inhalation, fire officials said.
- As of Thursday morning, California’s Department of Forestry and Fire Protection estimated the Mountain Fire has burned at 14,148 acres with 0% containment. More than 14,000 people remain under evacuation orders, according to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office.
A scramble to evacuate
Christina Noren, 50, and her husband Paul Boutin, 62, quickly evacuated from their home in Camarillo Heights around 12 p.m. Wednesday.
They only had time to grab their dog, their laptops, some clothes, toothbrushes and Boutin’s thyroid medication.
Boutin has been in remission from thyroid cancer since August, but just had a related surgery last week and the couple was anxious about Boutin inhaling any smoke. They chose to evacuate to a hotel in Pismo Beach, more than 100 miles away, rather than a closer evacuation center.
“You know, the last thing that he needs is to be breathing smoke for the next 2 or 3 days,” said Noren.
Noren said she started to get worried about the smoke in the sky around 11:00 a.m. Within 45 minutes, police and fire officials were knocking on doors in her neighborhood and telling people to leave immediately.
“And they were really like, get the hell out of there now,” said Noren.
Noren was an artist and has collected art for 30+ years. Her collection includes artists like Catherine Opie, Nathan Oliveira and Brent Estabrook — as well as some of her own pieces from 30 years ago. She had to leave everything behind when she evacuated.
“These are large scale works. These are 8-foot by 8-foot sculptures, 8-foot by 8-foot paintings. This is not stuff you dump in the Prius,” said Noren.
She said she’ll “have a good cry and a good scream” if her collection is gone.
“A lot of them I made with my own hands. So I’m a lot more worried than Paul is,” said Noren.
‘The Los Angeles reality’
A brush fire in Malibu is still burning – but its forward progress was stopped after it burned at least two structures and shut down the Pacific Coast Highway for part of Wednesday.
“It was extremely windy here today. The winds were blowing so much. The fire happened because of the high winds,” Komal Kapoor, a visiting professor at Pepperdine University, told CNN, explaining that she received an alert from the National Weather Service with a “red flag warning” of high winds in Ventura County and Los Angeles counties.
Kapoor added that fires are part of the “Los Angeles reality” and all professors could do was follow guidance from emergency officials and reassure students.
Two structures caught on fire, the Los Angeles Fire Department said, and there were no reported injuries.
According to the weather service office in Los Angeles, conditions at the time of the fire showed north-northwest wind gusts up to 51 mph and humidity at 11%.
Wildfires threat to power providers
Wildfires have scorched more than 1,015,138 acres throughout the state of California so far this year, compared to 332,822 acres by this time last year, according to Cal Fire.
The threat of fire starts is so severe that two of the state’s power providers cut off power to thousands of Californians to prevent electrical equipment from sparking flames.
Power equipment can start fires, particularly when conditions are as extreme as forecast through Thursday. PG&E had to pay $45 million in a settlement for its equipment’s role in starting the Dixie Fire – California’s second largest in history – in 2011.
More than 11,000 Southern California Edison customers across five counties had power shut off Wednesday morning. Nearly 250,000 customers could be impacted, according to the utility’s website.
Power shutoffs affected thousands of PG&E customers by Wednesday morning and will continue through Thursday, according to the utility’s website.
CNN’s Taylor Galgano, Taylor Romine, Emma Tucker, Robert Shackelford, Chris Boyette, and Mary Gilbert contributed to this report.
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