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    • The mountain fire containment system rises as crews battle hot spots
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    The mountain fire containment system rises as crews battle hot spots

    Online Niel Posted on

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    (This story has been updated with new information.)

    Firefighters continued to battle hot spots around the Mountain fire Saturday as weather conditions remained relatively mild and containment increased.

    The fire that started on Wednesday morning on Monte Sud, near Somis, has it burned 32 square milesthey destroyed dozens of homes, sent residents to the hospital and forced evacuations in communities from Camarillo to Fillmore.

    Flames erupted like Santa Ana winds gusted over 80 mphjumping the 118 freeway near Camarillo Heights early and engulfing the hillside homes in flames. Fanned by winds, the flames continued to burn south toward Camarillo, north toward Santa Paula, and west toward Ventura.

    County Supervisor Kelly Long said Saturday that she received a call from President Biden after he was informed of the fire in Mt. The president said his heart went out to the county and to those who lost their homes, she said of Friday’s call.

    Long, the chairman of the county Board of Supervisors, said the chairman has told his officials he is working to make sure agencies have the support they need to fight the fire. The Federal Emergency Management Agency had previously authorized the use federal funds to help the state pays for firefighting costs.

    Biden also spoke with Gov. Gavin Newsom, who visited local areas affected by the fire on Thursday, Long said. The governor has declared a state of emergency in the county.

    The the fire had a 17% containment. as of Saturday morning and 3,000 personnel were working on the incident, said Clint Swensen, a Cal Fire chief of operations.

    Weather conditions are easing around the mountain fire

    Red flag warnings have expired across the area as winds have shifted. The The National Weather Service said some lighter winds blowing off the ocean were expected over the weekend.

    Unlike the Santa Ana in the northeast, these winds usually mean increased moisture levels. But the strength of the Santa Anas earlier this week pushed dry air away from the coast, said Robbie Munroe, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.

    That is expected to keep conditions fairly dry through the weekend, he said.

    The forecast calls for more Santa Ana next week, but current patterns show a much different setup than the one the county just experienced. Winds are expected to be significantly lighter next week, Munroe said.

    How many houses burned in the mountain fire?

    By the end of this week, authorities estimated the fire had destroyed more than 130 structures, mostly homes, and damaged 88. As damage assessments continue, that number could rise.

    Where does the fire keep burning?

    Corridor 118 was one of the top priorities Saturday, Swensen said in a statement update posted on social mass media. Ground crews and aircraft will continue to put out hot spots in that area, moving from structure to structure, he said.

    On the north side of the fire, crews were clearing smoldering areas in and around the Santa Clara River, creating plumes of smoke near Highway 126. Farmland and the riverbed continued to produce a lot of smoke, Swensen said.

    In the hills above Camarillo, crews patrolled fire lines and extinguished smoldering hot spots around hard-hit neighborhoods.

    Evacuations, road closures continue

    Numerous evacuation orders were issued Wednesday and Thursday in and around the Camarillo, Ventura, Santa Paula and Fillmore areas.

    Ventura County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff said authorities had repopulated 3,500 homes, with 2,000 still unoccupied in evacuation zones as of Friday evening.

    Officials hope to reopen access to about half of the 2,000 by the weekend, he said Friday, although some areas with intense damage could be closed longer. Concerns included downed power lines, open gas lines, firefighters working in areas and other hazardous conditions.

    An updated list and interactive map of evacuation zones is available at vcemergency.com. The map allows residents to search by address.

    Highway 118 was reopened Saturday afternoonthe California Highway Patrol reported, following the earlier closure of sections of Santa Clara Avenue to Tierra Rejada Road. Multiple closures remain in place for all but emergency personnel and residents in the area.

    Cheri Carlson covers the environment and county government for the Ventura County Star. Get to her at [email protected] or 805-437-0260.

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