Firefighters were battling fires in Ventura and Los Angeles counties despite adverse weather conditions.
A brush fire threatened a Southern California hamlet early Thursday after sweeping across more than 14,000 acres in a matter of hours, destroying homes and forcing residents to leave as hundreds of firefighters battled the blazes in severe winds. The so-called Mountain fire in Ventura County injured numerous people and sent them to the hospital, as well as damaging or destroying a number of structures, according to the Fire Department.
Officials encouraged residents to evacuate and remain out of the area, stating that they were utilising every possible resource to combat the fire.
According to the department, at least 800 firemen were working all night on the ground and in helicopters to put out the fire. “Firefighters were immediately engaged in pulling people out of their homes and saving lives,” said Capt.
Trevor Johnson of the Fire Department. He went further: “Our firefighters are doing nothing short of heroic out there right now.” More than 10,000 people have been evacuated, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom, who also stated that the fire threatened approximately 3,500 houses and buildings.
Strong winds might intensify the fire on Thursday. According to the Storm Prediction Centre, the fire risk threat remained critical, and a forecaster cautioned that the region was experiencing extremely low humidity levels in the air, as well as wind gusts of 40 to 50 miles per hour. The fast-moving blaze began at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, catching many homeowners off unprepared.
Gail Liacko, who lives in Camarillo, got up early on Wednesday and went outdoors in her pyjamas to tend to her flowers. The fierce wind crushed their petals all night, but Ms. Liacko stated she didn’t mind. She then sat down to a brunch of handmade hash browns and eggs cooked by her husband, Michael.
“We were relaxing when I went outside again, and I started smelling smoke and noticed soot on our back patio cushions,” Ms. Liacko, a real estate agent, explained. “That made me nervous, because that means embers.” Within an hour, the couple was quickly retrieving photos and critical documents from their ranch-style home, which they had purchased nine years prior. They made it safe.
Ms. Liacko, who is in her early 60s, received a text message from a neighbour. At least one house on their block was on fire. “Oh god, I’m sick to my stomach, this is really real,” she blurted out. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire, issued evacuation orders for areas of Ventura County. The Ventura County Fire Department, which established an evacuation centre, said it would start calculating the damage on Thursday. Padre Serra Parish in Camarillo, a Catholic church and the city’s designated evacuation shelter, had some inhabitants standing in the parking lot, gazing out at the smoke billowing like clouds in the air.
Inside, scores of people sat around banquet tables, with children lying on blankets. A city official encouraged them to make plans to spend the night or find another safe location. Several were churchgoers who felt at ease remaining. CaroleAnn Higa sat near her oxygen tank, waiting for a nurse to provide medication to relieve allergies caused by pets brought into the church. Ms. Higa, aged 77, arrived with an extra clothing, an inhaler, and her wallet. She drove away from her Camarillo house, where she had lived for four years, and it was unrecognisable. “I looked up the hill and couldn’t believe how much smoke there was. “It was so thick you couldn’t see the house,” she explained.
Nearby was Peter Siudera, 82, who has lived in Camarillo for nearly 50 years. He planned to spend the night at the shelter. “I don’t really have anywhere to go. It’s just me,” he explained. While preparing to depart, Mr. Siudera found himself having to answer impossible questions. “I went around to each of the bedrooms and said, ‘What can burn, and what do I want to replace?'” Mr. Siudera spoke. “That was a difficult decision; I was shaking. You’re wondering if you’ll come back to see it.” Forecasters from the National Weather Service’s Oxnard, Calif., office, who are in charge of advising communities about severe weather conditions in Southern California, were among those who evacuated.
“It’s a very large horse community, and everyone knows each other pretty well,” said Kat Winters, 52, manager of an equine hospital in the area. “We got a lot of phone calls from clients wanting to bring trailers to us and were willing and were kind — we’re very fortunate.” Ms. Winters and about a dozen staff members had spent the morning gathering X-ray machines, computers, and medicine while transferring horses — some of whom were recovering from injuries unrelated to the fire and required intravenous fluids — to a safe location. “It’s a little nerve-racking,” she said. “We’re hoping everything is there when we get back.” According to fire officials, the Mountain fire was completely out of control early Thursday.
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