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    • Homes destroyed, 0% containment north of Los Angeles
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    Homes destroyed, 0% containment north of Los Angeles

    Online Niel Posted on

    UPDATED, 9:15 a.m.: Whipped by strong Santa Ana winds, the Mountain fire continues to spread in Ventura County, northwest of Los Angeles. The fire has consumed more than 14,100 acres, and fire officials said there was still 0 percent containment as of 8:30 a.m. Thursday.

    At least 800 firefighters and several helicopters are on the scene working under dangerous “red flag” conditions – high winds and low humidity – which are expected to continue into most areas on Friday. Ground crews, helicopters and other resources are working to protect lives and property as Cal Fire reports the northeast portion of the fire is moving down toward the Santa Clara River.

    A press conference was set for 10 a.m. to provide updates on the fire and efforts to contain it.

    Ventura County Fire Department

    CalFire

    About 42,000 homes in Ventura County were without power as of 12:15 p.m. Thursday. Southern California Edison has set up community resource centers at the Arroyo Vista Recreation Center in Moorpark, the Simi Valley Senior Center and the Ventura Beach Marriott, which are open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday.

    The Mountain Fire broke out Wednesday morning near Balcom Canyon Road and Bradley Road in Somis and jumped Highway 118 driven by winds capable of gusts of 100 mph in some areas. Numerous houses were damaged or destroyed in Camarillo The Heights and Camarillo Estates areas and evacuation orders remain in effect.

    Cal Fire is coordinating with Ventura County and San Luis Obispo fire departments to battle the blaze. The Los Angeles Fire Department sent nearly 100 firefighters to the blaze, including at least five fire teams, along with another team that included firefighters from Beverly Hills, Culver City and Santa Monica. Other local fire departments, including Glendale

    EARLIER, 18:28: “Firefighters immediately went to work getting people out of homes and saving lives,” Ventura County Fire Department Chief of Operations Trevor Johnson said at a news conference today to discuss the fire in northwest Los Angeles . He said it was “a tough fire fight” from the moment emergency personnel arrived on the scene this morning in the area between Moorpark and Somis.

    The wildfire is currently at 10,480 acres with 0% containment. According to officials, emergency responders made more than 14,000 contacts to evacuate people from the community. Two civilians were taken to hospital with smoke inhalation.

    A day after the historic presidential election, every local news outlet in Los Angeles focused on coverage of the mountain fire, including images of burning homes, correspondents on the ground, and interviews with evacuees and local officials.

    A home in Camarillo Heights engulfed in the wildfire (ETIENNE LAURENT/AFP via Getty Images)

    Getty Images

    “This is a classic Santa Ana wind event. We have sustained winds over 50 mph with gusts over 80,” said Ventura County Fire Chief Dustin Gardner. “Every firefighter in the region, all of our partners — from Los Angeles County, Orange County, Kern County, Santa Barbara County, our CalFire partners, our law enforcement partners, the sheriff, every helicopter, every fixed-wing aircraft, everything we have we’ve been able to get our hands on — this is where they’re fighting this fire and it’s moving at a dangerous rate of spread.”

    A major contributing factor, Gardner said, is those winds. As a result, “This fire observed more than two and a half miles in front of it.”

    Red Flag conditions are “expected to continue until at least sunset tomorrow,” according to VCFD Division Chief and Incident Commander Jeff Change.

    Thousands of residents have already been evacuated in the areas outlined in purple below.

    Currently, the fire continues to move west through the Santa Clara River basin south of the city of Santa Paula. The town and community of Saticoy are expected to be the next areas to be evacuated.

    Other concerns include the densely populated Camarillo Heights area and the 101 Freeway corridor that connects Los Angeles with Ventura and Santa Barbara.

    The fire brought flashbacks of Massive Thomas fire which began north of Santa Paula on December 4, 2017 and burned through portions of the now threatened area. Three weeks later, it burned 281,000 acres and burned hundreds of homes, becoming—at the time—the largest fire since record keeping began in California.

    Check out video shot tonight looking south from Santa Paula Airport below.

    According to Johnson, the cause of the fire is currently under investigation.

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