Fire officials describe harrowing conditions as Southern California wildfire exploded
LOS ANGELES — Firefighters on Sunday described battling high, howling winds and rescuing people during a fast-moving wildfire in Southern California that forced thousands of people to flee and destroyed at least 168 structures and damaged 67.
Crews have increased containment of the Mountain Fire to 31% in Ventura County, northwest of Los Angeles, up from 26% on Sunday morning. The size of the fire remains about 32 square miles (about 83 square kilometers).
“I am grateful for the number of lives saved and the fact that no fatalities were reported,” an emotional Ventura County Fire Chief Dustin Gardner said at a community meeting Sunday evening.
“I know we have suffered extensive damage, but thousands of homes have been saved and hundreds of lives have been saved. “I know we made mistakes, but we will learn from those mistakes,” he said.
Ventura County public safety officials said they had prepared for dry, warm and gusty winds from northeast Santa Ana. But the fire that broke out Wednesday morning exploded in size with wind gusts of 80 mph (about 130 km per hour) and embers flying from orchards 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) away into residential areas around the community of Camarillo.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. Inspection teams continue to assess the damage.
Firefighters conducted 136 active rescues, authorities said Sunday.
Evacuation orders were downgraded to warnings for residents in several parts of Ventura County on Saturday as the winds died down and firefighters were aided by mild temperatures and low humidity.
Agriculture officials estimate the toll on farmland dotted with avocado, citrus and berries, estimating damage at $2.4 million. Ventura County Star reported.
Another round of northeasterly winds was expected Tuesday, but humidity should rise and wind gusts are not expected to be as high as those that fueled the fire, National Weather Service meteorologist Ryan Walbrun said.
“They won’t be nearly as strong as the winds that occurred when this fire started. But for some of you, you’ll hear that wind and it might trigger you a little bit,” he said.
The region northwest of Los Angeles has seen some of the most devastating fires in California over the years. The Mountain Fire quickly grew from less than half a square mile (about 1.2 square kilometers) to more than 16 square miles (41 square kilometers) in just over five hours on Wednesday, with wind gusts of more than 60 miles per hour.
Red flag warnings indicating high fire danger conditions expired in most of the region on Thursday.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency in Ventura County.