A mountain fire in Ventura County, California destroys dozens of homes

by Junna Base November 9, 2024

VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. (AP) — Firefighters continued to battle a fast-spreading wildfire in Southern California that had swallowed dozens of homes and burned over 20,000 acres of land as of Saturday.

The mountain fire that broke out Wednesday morning in Ventura County, northwest of Los Angeles, quickly exploded and spread along a highway toward homes due to strong Santa Ana winds and dry air, forcing the evacuation of more than 10,000 people.

Firefighters made some progress in containing the fire over the last day. The blaze was 17% contained and had burned 20,630 acres as of Saturday morning, according to state wildfire management agency Cal Fire. On Friday, the containment rate rose from 7% to 14% at the end of the day.

Red flag warnings and “particularly dangerous situation” warnings due to low humidity and strong winds earlier this week were no longer in effect on Saturday, but meteorologists said there would still be elevated fire weather conditions off the coast through Sunday. There was a slight chance of light rain on Monday, but red flags could return to the area over the next week.

An air quality advisory was in effect across Ventura County until late Saturday due to lingering smoke and ash from the Mountain Fire. The National Weather Service said levels of particulate matter in the air were at unhealthy levels and could remain unhealthy through the afternoon, but noted that conditions could change quickly based on the behavior of the fire or the weather. Officials warned people to stay indoors as much as possible and said anyone exercising outdoors should wear an N95 mask.

At least 10 people were injured, most from smoke inhalation, but there have been no reports of life-threatening injuries or deaths, Ventura County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff said.

As crews struggled with low water pressure and power outages that slowed their efforts, images of utter destruction emerged from the hardest-hit area of Camarillo Heights. Houses were burned to their skeletons and brick chimneys.

“The devastation is absolutely heartbreaking,” Fryhoff said.

Over 130 buildings burned down

Ventura County Fire Department spokesman Andy VanSciver said crews counted 132 destroyed structures, most of them single-family homes. As of Thursday’s update, an additional 88 buildings were damaged.

But the number of damaged and destroyed buildings could increase. VanSciver said firefighters examined just 298 properties and found three out of four were destroyed or damaged.

“This is a slow process because we need to make sure the process is safe,” he said.

Residents race around the clock to save horses from the fire

Residents and ranchers in Ventura County had little warning to evacuate their animals, telling the Ventura County Star they rushed to get them out of the stables.

Nancy Reeves keeps her horses at a ranch in Somis, about 2 miles from where the fire started. She said she initially thought the fire would bypass the ranch.

“Then the wind shifted and came straight at us,” she said.

Reeves and others from ranches throughout the region set out to save their animals by loading them into trailers and transporting them to the Ventura County Fairgrounds. As of Wednesday afternoon, more than 30 horses, 15 goats and a handful of sheep had been evacuated to the site’s horse stables as part of an effort coordinated by Ventura County Animal Services.

Morgan Moyer runs a riding school on Bradley Road in Somis, not far from the scene of the fire.

“You could see the flames from the street,” she said. “You could hear it popping.”

Moyer rushed back to the ranch to save her animals. As the fire grew closer and her family urged her to leave, she left some of the horses at a fence away from eucalyptus trees in what appeared to be an oasis. They were later brought to the fairgrounds by Animal Services and others.

Contributors: The Ventura County Star; Reuters

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