• The Mountain Fire in Ventura County,which began Wednesday morning, burned into neighborhoods, set homes on fire and prompted authorities to send more than 14,000 evacuation notices as it spread to thousands of acres in a matter of hours. Officials said “numerous” structures had been impacted by the flames.
• The fire, which has burned more than 20,400 acres, according to Cal Fire, was driven by potent winds gusting over 60 mph and weather conditions so extreme forecasters issued a rare “particularly dangerous situation” red flag warning for the potential of “life-threatening” fire behavior.
• Bad fire weather is continuing in Southern California. Red flag warnings, which warn of dangerous fire weather conditions, are in place for more than 18 million people, including the Los Angeles area.
Winds to die down as conditions improve for Southern California Friday
By Robert Shackleford
An airplane drops fire retardant on the Mountain Fire near South Mountain Road in Fillmore, California on November 7.
Hans Gutknecht/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News/Getty Images
Fire conditions are expected to continue to improve across Southern California on Friday after a powerful and long duration Santa Ana Wind Event has brought gusty winds and dangerous fire weather to the region. Those conditions fueled the newly formed Mountain Fire, which has burned over 20,000 acres since Wednesday.
Conditions began to improve on Thursday after winds gusted up to 64 mph Wednesday morning for the Mountain Fire area and kept close to that speed later in the day. The worst of the winds on Thursday occurred in the morning, with sustained winds up to 30 mph and gusts to 40 mph before decreasing through the afternoon, dropping to sustained winds of 10-20 mph with isolated gusts of 20-30 mph.
For the overnight hours, winds across the Mountain Fire have continued to drop and are forecast to remain mostly between 5-10 mph into Friday, with isolated higher gusts remaining possible, a large improvement from earlier this week.
Red flag warnings are continuing to drop across the region as well, with the last of the red flag warnings for the Los Angeles and Ventura County Mountains as well as the Inland Empire and the coastal slopes of the San Bernardino County Mountains expected to drop by Friday 11am PST (1 pm PST). Across the region as a whole, gusts to 40 mph are still possible through Friday morning and will decrease into the afternoon. Gusts will likely decrease to 20-30 mph and humidities will increase, greatly helping firefighters.
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10 injuries sustained from the Mountain Fire, mostly from smoke inhalation
From CNN's Taylor Romine
There are a total of 10 confirmed injuries from the Mountain Fire, which are mostly related to smoke inhalation and are non-life threatening, Ventura County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff said.
The sheriff’s office evacuated 400 homes overall and 250 residents chose to stay, while 800 homes they door-knocked on appeared to already be evacuated, he said.
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132 structures destroyed, 88 damaged in Mountain Fire
From CNN's Taylor Romine
The Mountain Fire burns near South Mountain Road in Fillmore, California, on November 7.
Hans Gutknecht/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News/Getty Images
At least 132 structures are destroyed and 88 are damaged after the Mountain Fire ripped through Ventura County over the last two days, officials said Thursday.
“I was with the sheriff today, and the governor, as we drove around and saw the devastation, and it is truly devastating, and our hearts absolutely break and go out to you,” said Ventura County Fire Chief Dustin Gardner.
Ten damage inspection teams are making their way through the area to fully inspect structures in the area, said Ventura County Fire PIO Andy VanSciver. So far, they’ve inspected 298 properties, and are continuing to get through as many as possible, he added.
The fire remains at over 20,400 acres but has gained 5% containment, VanSciver said.
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Ventura County officials schedule 6 p.m. PT news conference on Mountain Fire
From CNN's Rebekah Riess.
Officials responding to the Mountain Fire in Southern California will provide another update at 6 p.m. PT.
The Ventura County Fire Department and personnel from the Ventura County sheriff’s emergency services will be briefing on the status of the fire – which is still burning at 20,485 acres with 0% containment.
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California governor declares state of emergency related to Mountain Fire
From CNN's Taylor Romine
Inmate firefighters with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation walk on a trail while battling the Mountain Fire in Moorpark on Thursday.
Stephen Lam/Hearst Newspapers/San Francisco Chronicle/Getty Images
California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency Thursday in Ventura County, where the Mountain Fire has burned more than 20,400 acres.
“This is a dangerous fire that’s spreading quickly and is threatening lives. California has mobilized state resources, including personnel, engines and aircraft from CAL FIRE and Cal OES, to protect communities as our fire and emergency response teams work around the clock to combat this fire,” Newsom said in a statement. “Stay safe and remain alert for instructions from local authorities as dangerous fire weather conditions continue.”
The state received a Fire Management Assistance Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Wednesday, which will help support the firefighting response, the governor’s office said.
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Flames are bearing down on Southern California homes. Here's the latest
From CNN staff
A relief helicopter flies as smoke billows from the Mountain Fire in Santa Paula, California, on November 7.
David Swanson/Reuters
Fierce winds are driving the growing Mountain Fire over Southern California’s Ventura County, where the blaze has engulfed more than 19,000 acres and charred homes, cars and brittle landscape.
More than 14,000 evacuation notices have been sent to residents, though it is unclear how many people have left, Ventura County Sheriff James Fryhoff said Thursday.
Fire officials are imploring residents to heed evacuation warnings, saying that choosing to stay behind could put rescue crews at risk.
“We see it over and over and over: People have the best intentions to stay and defend their home right up until the time the fire hits their home,” Ventura County Fire Chief Dustin Gardner said. “And it gets hot, and it gets smoky, you can’t see, you can’t breathe, and you sure as hell can’t defend your home. And then you’re stuck, and then our firefighters have to get in, pull you out.”
Ventura County officials are expected to provide updates in a 6 p.m. PT news conference.
Here’s the latest:
Fire grows amid extreme conditions: The Mountain Fire leapt to more than 19,600 acres on Thursday, according to CalFire. Its northeast side remains active as it races toward the Santa Clara River. Extreme fire conditions will continue through at least Thursday afternoon and red flag warnings will last through Friday, the National Weather Service said. The fire is being fed by gusty Santa Ana winds and stretches of brush that were dried out by a record-hot summer.
Homes consumed by flames: CalFire has said “numerous homes” were damaged or destroyed in the Camarillo Heights and Camarillo Estates area, though officials have declined to provide exact numbers. In Camarillo Heights, a KABC reporter counted 83 destroyed homes during a helicopter survey Thursday morning.
Families have lost everything: Some people fled their neighborhoods Wednesday and returned a day later to find their homes burned and roomfuls of their life’s possessions reduced to ash. “Everything got destroyed,” Camarillo resident Richard Galante told CNN. “We didn’t have time to do anything but leave.”
Cause still unknown: Investigators are still working to determine what sparked the Mountain Fire, including whether power lines could have been involved, Ventura County Fire Capt. Trevor Johnson said.
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She survived a 1971 fire that killed her mother. Now the California native barely escaped the Mountain Fire
From CNN’s Taylor Galgano
Terrie Morin and her husband “barely made it out” of her Camarillo home as the Mountain Fire advanced on their property Wednesday, she told CNN.
“We couldn’t see. We barely made it out. … He was panicking,” Morin, 60, said Thursday.
Unfortunately, she believes her home burned down after seeing pictures of it on local news.
She and her husband, Dave, rushed home from a barber shop after learning of the fire Wednesday morning — panicked because they had two friends staying with them who work nights and might’ve slept through the fire alarms.
About 10 minutes later, her husband started to see sparks in their backyard.
“I run in the house and when I see their car there, I know they’re still there. So I run in the house, and I’m banging on the door and they did not hear me. They were knocked out,” Morin said, noting it was around 11:30 a.m. PT.
“It was hot. It was so hot. … So we’re running around trying to figure out our things. When we came out of the house, the fire was all in the trees. We couldn’t see.”
Morin managed to grab her husband’s diabetes medication, her laptop and some dresses — but feels like she left so much behind, including baby memorabilia of her son, she said.
That included “these little tiny clothes that he wore and things I made for him,” Morin said. “And I lost that. And it was devastating to lose that.”
Wednesday’s fire was especially triggering for Morin, she said, because she survived a Los Angeles house fire in 1971 when she was 7 years old — a fire that took her mother’s life.
“She saved me. … The kitchen was on fire, and she threw me. She picked me up by my shirt and my pants, and she threw me through this little space that was open. And she couldn’t get out. And I jumped out the window and all the windows burst. And I still remember the police officer’s face,” Morin said through tears.
Morin and her husband, as well as their friends in the home, safely evacuated on Wednesday, butthe drive out of the neighborhood was extremely difficult because of the smoke, Morin said.
“We couldn’t see anything. We were basically driving just in the smoke. (Dave) was freaking out. And I was telling him, ‘Dave, pull over. Let me take the wheel. I’m OK. Pull over,’” Morin said.
Fleeing her home caused a lot of different emotions for her Wednesday night, she said.
“I was so overwhelmed that I had to go to sleep because I was depressed. I felt suicidal. It was just so many things going on,” Morin said.
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Time-lapse footage shows wildfire smoke billowing through Ventura County mountains
From CNN's Graham Hurley
Footage captured by ALERTCalifornia’s camera system Wednesday shows strong winds pushing smoke from the Mountain Fire through Ventura County.
Watch the video below:
Smoke from the Mountain Fire billows through Ventura County mountains
Smoke from the Mountain Fire billows through Ventura County mountains
0:59
Video credit: ALERTCalifornia/UC San Diego
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"We didn't have time to do anything but leave," says resident who lost home
From CNN's Nick Watt in Camarillo, California
A homeowner, left, surveys his home, which was destroyed in the Mountain Fire, in Camarillo, California.
Mario Tama/Getty Images
Richard Galante woke up in his home in Camarillo, California, around 8 a.m. Wednesday to the smell of smoke.
By the early afternoon, his home was gone, and the 45-year resident of this Southern California community is now thinking about how he and his wife will recover.
There was hardly time to grab anything: Galante’s wife managed to get one handbag, but no shoes, he said. Galante is on more than a dozen medications, he said, and all of them were destroyed, along with many of his father-in-law’s sculptures.
“The fire moved so fast, the wind was so fast, you couldn’t even move.”
Asked if he planned to rebuild, Galante said he would.
Camarillo is about 40 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
Cal Fire has said “numerous homes” were damaged and destroyed in the Camarillo Heights area — which is partially adjacent to and partially within the city of Camarillo — and the Camarillo Estates area after winds drove the fire there following its ignition in the Somis area Wednesday morning.
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Mountain Fire explodes to more than 19,600 acres as red flag conditions expected to continue through Friday
From CNN's Cindy Von Quednow
The Mountain Fire in Ventura County has scorched more than 19,600 acres as of Thursday afternoon.
The blaze remains active on its northeast portion and is moving toward the Santa Clara River, according to Cal Fire.
Extreme fire weather conditions will continue through Thursday afternoon. Red flag warnings will persist through Friday, according to the National Weather Service office in Los Angeles.
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More than 80 homes in Camarillo Heights area destroyed, reporter says, citing count from helicopter
From CNN's Elizabeth Wolfe
The Mountain Fire has destroyed dozens of homes in the Camarillo Heights area of Ventura County, CNN affiliate KABC reported Thursday, citing a reporter’s count from a helicopter flight.
KABC reporter Scott Reiff counted 83 destroyed homes during his aerial survey Thursday morning, the station reported. That includes almost all of the homes along an area at the base of the Camarillo Hills, Reiff reported.
Cal Fire has said “numerous homes” were damaged or destroyed in the Camarillo Heights and Camarillo Estates areas after winds drove the fire there following its ignition in the Somis area Wednesday morning.
Camarillo Heights is an area adjacent to, and partially within, the city of Camarillo, which is about 40 miles northwest of Los Angeles.
County officials on Thursday morning declined to say how many homes have been destroyed by the fire. Ten teams are doing damage assessments, which are “going to take some time,” county fire spokesman Andy VanSciver said in a news conference.
“We want to do it right the first time and make notifications to the property owners that their property has been damaged or destroyed. So please hang with us as we are challenged with the time it takes to go door to door,” VanSciver said.
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Here’s why the fire is tearing through so much land
From CNN Meteorologist Mary Gilbert
The Mountain Fire burns above South Mountain Rd. on November 7, in Santa Paula, California.
Noah Berger/AP
Fall marks a critical inflection point for California’s fire season and it’s playing out in Southern California right now.
It’s when powerful Santa Ana winds – the same type that have driven explosive fire growth since Wednesday – start to rock the landscape and area soils and fire fuels are at their driest following a hot summer.
The combination of very windy and very dry conditions primes the landscape, turning it into tinder-dry fuel that can easily catch fire with the smallest spark and then spread rapidly in high winds.
There are more fire fuels, like dry brush and grasses, available to burn this year than usual after back-to-back wet winters promoted extensive plant growth in California.
All this new growth was dried out by bursts of heat during a record-hot summer. It’s now so widespread that wildfires like the Mountain Fire burn unhindered, with minimal natural fire breaks to slow down the flames.
The scenario Southern California is currently facing could happen more frequently with time as the world warms due to fossil fuel pollution.
The number of extreme fall fire-weather days in California has more than doubled since the early 1980s because of warmer and drier autumns as global temperatures rise, CNN previously reported.
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"You can replace your stuff. You cannot replace your family members," fire chief says
From CNN's Dakin Andone
Ventura County Fire Department Chief Dustin Gardner urged residents to heed evacuation warnings, saying at a news conference Thursday, “You can replace your stuff. You cannot replace your family members.”
Firefighters often have to rescue those who stay behind, Gardner said, which diverts resources from firefighting efforts and other rescue operations.
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Strong winds are fueling the Mountain Fire but a change is coming
From CNN Meteorologist Mary Gilbert
Strong northeast winds continue to blow across the area impacted by the Mountain Fire. Wind gusts of 30 to 50 mph have been recorded this hour, according to National Weather Service data.
The strongest winds will slowly ease throughout the afternoon, but gusts of 25 to 35 mph remain possible into the early evening.
Winds will weaken dramatically this evening and be rather light overnight, but the wind direction could briefly shift from the northeast to the west.
Shifts in wind direction could change the direction of fire spread, loft burning embers into new areas and alter where thick smoke reaches.
Smoke from the Mountain Fire has largely blown away from land and out to sea since the fire started Wednesday morning. But hazardous smoke could pour into more populated areas and dramatically reduce air quality this weekend as the wind direction shifts to the southwest.
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Cause of Mountain Fire not yet identified
From CNN's Rebekah Riess
A helicopter drops water as the Mountain Fire burns along South Mountain Rd. on November 7, in Santa Paula, California.
Noah Berger/AP
The cause of the Mountain Fire has not yet been determined, a Ventura County fire official said in a news conference Thursday morning.
“We are fully committed to bringing resolve to the incident. That is a part of our incident management strategy, but that’s under investigation currently,” Ventura County fire Capt. Trevor Johnson said.
The county fire department’s investigation unit is working on several things, including determining whether power lines were involved in causing the fire, Johnson said when asked about power lines as a possible cause.
“I could tell you that there could be a million things that start a fire,” Johnson said. “When a fire like that breaks, we don’t initially go to ‘What started this?’ Our job is to bring stabilization, so we went immediately to work in that regard.”
No residents missing in Mountain Fire, sheriff says
From CNN's Andy Rose
As evacuation orders remain in effect for several Ventura County communities, first responders believe everyone relocated in the Mountain Fire is accounted for, according to the local sheriff.
“I do not believe we have any outstanding missing persons,” said Ventura County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff.
Two civilians were injured in the fire, Fryhoff added, saying he did not have an update on the victims’ conditions. Fire officials said Wednesday the victims suffered smoke inhalation.
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Authorities have made more than 14,000 evacuation notifications, sheriff says
From CNN's Dakin Andone
A firefighter battles flames from the Mountain Fire on November 6, near Camarillo, California.
Ethan Swope/AP
It’s unclear how many people have fled the Mountain Fire as it burns in Ventura County, but authorities have so far made more than 14,000 evacuation notifications “to residents in the evacuation zones,” Sheriff James Fryhoff said at a news conference Thursday.
Though he provided the number of notifications, he did not say how many people were under evacuation orders.
That figure echoes the number of contacts authorities had made as of Wednesday evening, when Fryhoff told reporters notifications to evacuate had been sent via VC Alert, a local emergency system.
First responders’ priority is “life safety,” Ventura County fire Division Chief Jeff Shea said Thursday.
“We encourage anyone who receives an evacuation order or warning to heed that immediately,” Shea said.
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Firefighters dropped water on Mountain Fire from helicopters through the night
From CNN's Andy Rose
Firefighters worked aggressively from the air overnight to try to get control of the Mountain Fire burning in Ventura County, California, according to the fire department.
“Last night we had water-dropping helicopters over the fire the entire evening, which is irregular for any kind of wildland incident” said Capt. Trevor Johnson.
“This is a challenging fire, and it is a wind-driven fire, so we are still at 0% containment,” said Ventura County Fire Department spokesperson Andy VanSciver.
The fire department is sending 10 damage-assessment teams door to door today to determine how many structures were burned, the fire department said.
“That is going to take some time,” said VanSciver. “We want to do it right the first time and make notifications to the property owners that their property has been damaged or destroyed.”
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Family hunkered down in fireproofed home as Mountain Fire raged outside
From CNN's Sara Smart
Steve Snyder captured an image Wednesday night as the Mountain Fire raged on around his home. Snyder stayed put in his fireproof home as he was unable to leave due to road closures.
Steven Snyder
One Camarillo, California, resident went to bed on Wednesday as the Mountain Fire raged around his home. When he woke up Thursday morning, the surrounding area was left charred.
Steven Snyder told CNN the fireproofing additions to his house gave him peace of mind when fire personnel told him he would be unable to leave the area as the roads were blocked and many of his neighbors’ homes were on fire.
“We didn’t find out until it was too late,” Snyder said.
Snyder moved into his home in February and says that in addition to the fireproofed windows and roof, they have a 100-foot radius around the home that is clear of any greenery.
He stayed in the home alongside his wife, daughter and 7-week-old granddaughter after personnel advised they would be unable to leave. Snyder felt confident that the fireproof additions to his home would protect them.
They lost power around 2 p.m. Wednesday but had plenty of water and food, Snyder said.
“When I looked out the window it looked like little campfires that were sparking up,” Snyder said. “With the wind blowing, palm trees on fire and when you we saw it come over the hill it was unbelievable.”
Snyder said many fire personnel were gathered on his street – with some even using water from his property.
Snyder took video of the area surrounding his home on Thursday morning and the mountainside can be seen burnt and charred. Some homes survived the fire, while others were burned down.
