A windswept Southern California brush Fire that blew up more than 20,000 acres in about 24 hours, destroying homes and prompting mass evacuations, remained out of control Thursday as Gov. Gavin Newsom marshaled state and federal resources to battle the blaze.

The governor declared a state of emergency in Ventura County as firefighters struggled to gain a foothold on the wildfire, which has burned 20,484 acres and destroyed an undetermined number of homes since it started near Camarillo. The fire was 5 percent contained Thursday evening.

The November fire came amid unusually warm temperatures and high winds in Santa Ana. The National Weather Service has issued red flag warnings for Ventura and Los Angeles counties that are expected to remain in effect through at least Friday morning.

Aerial footage from ABC Los Angeles KABC showed what appeared to be row after row of destroyed homes in the towns of Camarillo, Moorpark and Somis.

Several people were taken to hospitals to be treated for smoke inhalation and other injuries, Ventura County emergency officials said. Some victims were trapped in their cars as they fled the fast-moving flames, officials said.

In a news conference Thursday night, Ventura County fire officials said 88 structures were damaged and 132 structures were destroyed, most of them homes.

Officials said 10 injuries were confirmed, most from smoke inhalation and all were considered non-life threatening.

At least 14,000 people were ordered to evacuate, Ventura County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff said.

Newsom announced Wednesday that he has mobilized statewide resources to help fight the fire and has secured a grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to make vital firefighting resources available.

The California Office of Emergency Services said it had prepositioned 48 firefighting equipment, nine helicopters and more than 100 personnel in 19 California counties ahead of dangerous fire weather forecast for many parts of coastal and inland California.

“This is a dangerous, fast-spreading, life-threatening wildfire,” Newsom said in a statement. “State resources have been mobilized to protect communities, and this federal support from the Biden-Harris Administration will give state and local firefighters the resources they need to save lives and property as they continue to fight this aggressive wildfire “.

The wildfire is one of two wind-driven wildfires that have broken out in Southern California, prompting the NWS to issue rare warnings in November for Los Angeles and Ventura counties, warning of an “extreme fire risk” from Malibu to San Gabriel Mountains. north of Los Angeles, where winds could gust near 100 mph.

“A very strong, widespread and long-duration wind event from Santa Ana will bring widespread extremely critical fire weather conditions to many areas of Los Angeles and Ventura counties Wednesday through Thursday,” according to the NWS warning.

The cause of the fire was investigated on Thursday.

Due to extreme wind conditions, fixed-wing aircraft are unable to assist in firefighting efforts, according to the Ventura Fire Department, which said ground crews, helicopters and mutual aid resources are “actively working to protect lives and property’.

Wide shot

A second wildfire broke out Wednesday in the Malibu area of ​​Los Angeles County — dubbed the Broad Fire — and burned at least 50 acres southwest of South Malibu Canyon Road and Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) in Malibu, according to data . HORSE Fire.

The fire was 15 percent contained Wednesday night, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Local fire officials warned residents to prepare for potential evacuations, and PCH was closed in both directions between Webb Way and Corral Canyon.

Santa Ana wind conditions

Named after Southern California’s Santa Ana Canyon, the region’s Santa Ana winds bring strong, dry, hot winds that blow in from the desert, drying out vegetation and increasing fire danger.

The long-lasting Santa Ana wind event was expected to peak late Wednesday, becoming moderate Thursday, then decreasing to light offshore winds Friday.

Northeast winds 20 to 40 mph, with gusts up to 60 mph, are expected in the canyons and passes of southern California, with stronger winds in more wind-prone areas.

Another flurry of winds is expected to peak by Thursday morning with widespread northeast winds of 20 to 30 mph, with gusts up to 50 mph, before easing considerably by Thursday afternoon.