A fast-moving wildfire fanned by strong winds exploded in size in just a few hours, destroying dozens of homes and forcing thousands of residents to evacuate, before leaving Los Angeles on Thursday. It struck communities in the northwest for a second day.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement that more than 10,000 people were ordered to evacuate as wildfires threatened 3,500 structures in suburban communities, ranches and agricultural areas around Camarillo on Wednesday. .
The fire was 0% contained late Wednesday, according to the Ventura County Fire Department.
The National Weather Service announced that a red flag warning, which indicates high fire risk conditions, will remain in effect until 6 p.m. Thursday.
Winds are expected to weaken significantly by Thursday night, the Bureau of Meteorology said.
Officials in several Southern California counties urged residents to be on guard for rapidly spreading fires, power outages and downed trees due to the recent infamous Santa Ana winds.
The Mountain Fire occurred in an area that has seen some of California's most destructive fires in many years.
On Wednesday, thick smoke rose hundreds of feet into the sky, blanketing entire neighborhoods and limiting visibility for firefighters and evacuees.
The fire grew from less than half a square mile to more than 16 square miles in less than five hours.
First responders urged residents to evacuate. Deputies contacted 14,000 people and urged them to leave as embers spread for miles and new blazes sprouted.
Ventura County Fire Chief Trevor Johnson described how crews revved up their engines and raced to a house under fire to save lives.
“This couldn't be more intense. I think it made the hairs on the back of the firefighters' necks stand up,” he said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon.
Two people were taken to the hospital Wednesday after suffering from smoke inhalation, fire officials said. No firefighters reported serious injuries.
Officials said they had used all their resources, including helicopters dropping water and fixed-wing planes dropping flame retardant, but the fire remained out of control.
Ventura County Fire spokesman Andrew Dowd said he did not have details on how many buildings were damaged.
Meanwhile, in the South, Los Angeles County Fire Department crews scrambled to extinguish a wildfire near Malibu's Broad Beach as flames burned near a multimillion-dollar property and authorities temporarily closed Pacific Coast Highway. was.
Residents were urged to shelter in place while aircraft dumped water on the 50-acre Broad Fire.
By late Wednesday, the fire was 60% contained and had stopped progressing, the Los Angeles County Fire Department said in a statement. Fire officials said two buildings were set on fire.
With expected wind gusts of 50 mph and humidity levels as low as 9%, parts of Southern California could experience “extreme and life-threatening” fire conditions into Thursday, the weather service said. did. Wind gusts on Wednesday reached 91 mph.
Forecasters have also issued a red flag warning through Thursday from California's central coast through the San Francisco Bay Area and into counties north, where strong winds are also expected.
After a spate of large and deadly wildfires caused by power lines and other infrastructure in recent years, California power companies are now shutting down equipment during times of high winds and extreme fire risk. I started.
On Wednesday, more than 65,000 customers in Southern California lost power as a precaution, and more than 20,000 in Northern California lost power.
Wednesday's fires are similar to the 2018 Woolsey Fire, which killed three people and destroyed 1,600 homes near Los Angeles, and the 2017 Thomas Fire, which destroyed more than 1,000 homes and other structures near Los Angeles. It was burning in the same area as other recent fires. Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. Southern California Edison paid tens of millions of dollars to settle claims after its equipment was blamed for both fires.
