A fast-moving wildfire erupted in Southern California on Wednesday, destroying homes and forcing emergency responders to quickly evacuate residents, according to officials.
The Mountain Fire, which broke out in Ventura County, quickly spread over 14,000 acres, fueled by strong Santa Ana winds, which fire officials described as a significant factor in the blaze’s rapid growth.
Firefighters working to contain the brush fire, which ignited between the communities of Moorpark and Somis, faced intense challenges, said Ventura County Fire Capt. Trevor Johnson.
“Firefighters were immediately engaged in rescuing people from their homes and saving lives,” Johnson said.
The fire spread so quickly that, in some cases, firefighters used fire trucks to evacuate residents, rushing them to safety due to the immediate threat.
The fire department has not yet provided an estimate for the number of buildings that were destroyed.
According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire), the fire started at 8:51 a.m. local time. By Wednesday afternoon, it was not contained at all, and the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
Strong winds hindered the use of fixed-wing aircraft in battling the blaze, according to the Ventura County Fire Department.
A spokesperson from the department confirmed that several individuals were injured and transported to hospitals. The fire was impacting the Camarillo Heights area, located near Camarillo.
Video footage from a news helicopter showed homes destroyed in a residential neighborhood, with firefighters working to contain the flames at another. The footage also revealed other homes burning across a wide area, and the fires continued to rage into Wednesday night.
A retired firefighter, who lives in Camarillo Heights, and his two sons were using fire hoses to wet down their property and combat spot fires caused by embers carried by the strong winds.
Describing the day as “hell” during a live interview at the scene, he said, “Since it started this morning, it’s been nonstop. We’re just chasing flames. The wind direction has been swirling.”
The fire spread across State Route 118, forcing part of the highway to close due to flames on both sides, according to the California Transportation Department. The closure was in effect from Santa Clara Avenue to Tierra Rejada Road.
Smoke from the fire was reducing visibility and slowing traffic on the busy U.S. 101 freeway, south of State Route 118, according to the California Transportation Department on X (formerly Twitter).
High winds were also sparking spot fires up to 2½ miles away from the original blaze, said Ventura County Fire Chief Dustin Gardner.
“Bushes, grass, hedgerows, agricultural fields, and structures are all burning,” Gardner explained. “This fire is spreading incredibly fast and is very dangerous.”
Ventura County Sheriff James Fryhoff reported that officials had made over 14,000 contacts with residents in the affected areas and urged people to stay away from the fire zone.
Ventura County Fire Capt. Trevor Johnson said at a news conference that while he didn’t have specific information about injuries, the conditions were extremely challenging for firefighters.
“Everything is hazardous out there,” Johnson noted. “Visibility is so poor that firefighters can’t see more than five feet in front of their engines, and they’re having to operate near downed power lines and gas lines on fire.”
The fire department said it was too dangerous to send inspectors to assess the extent of the damage on Wednesday, but officials expected to have an updated count of destroyed structures by Thursday.
As of late Wednesday, Cal Fire reported that the Mountain Fire had burned 14,148 acres, and the agency had activated an incident management team to help respond to the blaze.
The National Weather Service warned that high winds, with gusts up to 60 mph, were contributing to the extreme fire risk. A gust near the fire area was recorded at 54 mph.
A camera from the University of California San Diego’s ALERTCalifornia public safety program showed the dramatic spread of the fire.
Steve Taylor, a resident of Camarillo, California, lost his home in the fire that tore through the area.
“We’re in shock over the devastation,” he told NBC Los Angeles. “We’re not the only ones who’ve lost so much. It’s just stuff, but it’s the stuff that holds all our memories.”
Meanwhile, in Malibu, closer to Los Angeles, another wildfire erupted on Wednesday, prompting a shelter-in-place order that was later lifted.
The Broad Fire scorched about 33 acres, but firefighters were able to stop its spread, and they were in the process of mopping up the area by late Wednesday afternoon, according to the city of Malibu.
Although there were no reported injuries, three homes were damaged in the fire, which started around 9 a.m. near Pacific Coast Highway, said Mayor Doug Stewart.
The Santa Ana winds, a weather phenomenon in California, occur when dry air from desert regions moves toward the coast, funneled through the mountains.
On Wednesday, the Camarillo airport recorded wind gusts of 64 mph. Gusts of 76 mph were reported in the western Santa Monica Mountains, while the San Gabriel Mountains saw gusts of 73 mph and 85 mph, according to the National Weather Service.