CAMARILLO, Calif. (AP) — A rapidly spreading wildfire driven by strong winds continued to rage through a community northwest of Los Angeles on Thursday, marking its second day of devastation. The fire has already destroyed numerous homes and forced thousands of residents to evacuate after it expanded dramatically in just a few hours.
As the Mountain Fire unfolded, evacuation orders were issued on Wednesday, impacting over 10,000 people and threatening approximately 3,500 structures within suburban areas, ranches, and agricultural lands around Camarillo, California Governor Gavin Newsom reported. By late Wednesday, the fire was completely uncontained, as confirmed by the Ventura County Fire Department.
In anticipation of the fire’s growth, the National Weather Service announced a red flag warning—signaling high fire danger—will remain active until 6 p.m. on Thursday. However, a significant decrease in wind speeds was expected by Thursday night, according to meteorologists.
Responding to the crisis, first responders are working tirelessly; law enforcement officers reached out to 14,000 residents encouraging their immediate evacuation as embers traveled far and ignited new fires. Ventura County Fire Captain Trevor Johnson described the scene as chaotic, stating that crews were racing against time and flames to protect lives.
During a press briefing, Johnson remarked, “This is as intense as it gets. The hair on the back of the firefighters’ neck I’m sure was standing up,” highlighting the dangers faced by those battling the inferno firsthand.
As of Wednesday, two individuals were hospitalized due to apparent smoke inhalation; fortunately, no firefighters reported any major injuries. Fire officials disclosed that they were deploying all available resources, including helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft that were releasing fire retardant, but the flames remained out of control. The exact number of damaged structures has yet to be reported by Andrew Dowd, a spokesperson for the Ventura County Fire Department.
Meanwhile, to the south, Los Angeles County Fire Department teams rushed to contain another wildfire near Malibu’s Broad Beach, temporarily closing the Pacific Coast Highway as flames threatened upscale properties. Residents in that area were advised to shelter in place as firefighting aircraft worked on controlling the 50-acre (20-hectare) Broad Fire. By late Wednesday, the situation had improved to 60% containment, with the fire’s progression halted; however, two structures were lost in the blaze.
Forecasters indicated that Southern California could continue to face “extreme and life-threatening” fire conditions due to predicted wind gusts reaching up to 50 mph (80 kph) and humidity levels dropping as low as 9%. On Wednesday, wind gusts were recorded as high as 61 mph (98 kph).
Further north, red flag warnings were also issued, extending from California’s central coast through the San Francisco Bay Area into other northern counties, where strong winds were observed. In light of the increasing fire risks, California utilities began shutting down equipment during the high winds and dangerous fire conditions. Over 65,000 customers in Southern California were cut off from power as a precaution, along with more than 20,000 in Northern California.
These wildfire events echo the devastation of previous fires. Many of Wednesday’s blazes occurred in regions that have witnessed catastrophic fires before, including the devastating 2018 Woolsey Fire, which caused three fatalities and destroyed 1,600 homes near Los Angeles, as well as the destructive 2017 Thomas Fire, which claimed over a thousand homes and structures in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. Southern California Edison has faced tens of millions of dollars in claims settlements tied to its equipment’s involvement in both of those catastrophic blazes.
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Dazio and Weber contributed to this coverage from Los Angeles, with additional reporting by Associated Press journalists Ryan Pearson in Los Angeles, Amy Taxin in Orange County, Olga Rodriguez and Janie Har in San Francisco, and Hannah Schoenbaum in Salt Lake City.
