SANTA PAULA, Calif.: Thousands of people were under evacuation orders in Southern California as fast-moving wildfires tore through homes, authorities said, the National Weather Service issued a red flag alert that described the situation as “particularly dangerous”.

Video shot by an eyewitness showed residents scrambling to evacuate their homes in the town of Camarillo as thick smoke blanketed the sky above. Footage also showed houses and cars fully engulfed in flames.

The Mountain Fire has spread to 14,000 acres, with at least 800 firefighters assigned to fight it, said the Ventura County Fire Department, located northwest of Los Angeles. It has requested additional helicopters to assist in efforts to tackle the situation, he added.

At least two people were injured and several structures were damaged or destroyed by a wildfire in Ventura County, firefighters said Wednesday.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said the mountain fire prompted evacuation orders for more than 10,000 people and threatened 3,500 structures.

Ventura County schools were closed until Friday due to the fires, according to the County Office of Education.

The fire spread Wednesday after strong winds came into contact with very dry air.

Southern California Edison began shutting off power to customers in areas where its equipment was considered at high risk of starting a fire, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The United States is facing a strong year for wildfires, with 8.1 million acres burned so far, compared with an annual, full-year average of about 7 million acres over the past decade, according to data from the National Fire Center The interagency.

California’s wildfires have burned more than three times as much land so far this year as last year, during this time when the state’s fire season was more benign, according to Cal Fire data.