close
close
newpress

Ventura County fire destroys homes, prompts evacuations – NBC 7 San Diego

Posted on by Josh L
Ventura County fire destroys homes, prompts evacuations – NBC 7 San Diego

What you need to know

  • The wildfire has burned 14,000 acres in the Moorpark and Camarillo areas.
  • As of 12:15 a.m. Thursday, about 42,000 customers were without power.
  • Scroll below for a list of schools closed due to the fire.
  • Evacuation shelters have been created for residents, small and large animals.
  • Ventura County residents can sign up to receive the latest emergency information from the county through VC Alert.

A wildfire that spread with devastating speed in the Moorpark and Camarillo areas of Ventura County burned more than 14,000 acres Wednesday and forced evacuations as strong winds fanned the flames into nearby neighborhoods.

At least two people were injured and hospitalized for smoke inhalation as several homes burned in the mountain fire. The fire was reported around 9 a.m. on the 118 Freeway, near the 7900 block of Balcom Canyon Road and Bradley Road. High winds in the area contributed to difficult conditions, the fire department said.

Renewal: Click here for mountain fire updates

The fire crossed the 118 freeway and entered the Camarillo Heights area.

“Several people were injured and were taken to local hospitals,” the report said Ventura County Fire Department said “Many structures are currently under threat.”

Homes were destroyed in the Camarillo and Moorpark neighborhoods. Video from NewsChopper4 shows several homes burned to the ground, but authorities do not have an estimate of the number of homes destroyed.

Ventura County residents tense as wildfire burns new homes. Amber Frias reports for NBC4 News at 6:00 p.m. Wednesday, November 6, 2024.

Strong winds have grounded planes due to “very hazardous” conditions caused by gusts. Wind can cause turbulence for pilots. Thick smoke also made it difficult to see from the air.

Water-dropping helicopters were still flying at the fire, some dropping water directly on homes.

“There are 140 firefighters working at the scene, using 58 units of firefighting equipment, and additional helicopters and planes are needed for assistance,” the agency said.

The strongest winds of the week are expected on Wednesday, with gusts up to 80 mph in the mountains and foothills of Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Similar winds are expected again in the mountains on Thursday night.

Ventura County Fire Chief Jeff Shea said weather conditions in the region are the most prominent and how that will contribute to fires through Thursday.

As the residents of Camarillo Heights prepare for a wildfire, a family, including a retired firefighter, does everything they can to save their home. Karma Dickerson reports for NBC4 News at 5:30 PM on Wednesday, November 6, 2024.

“This means critically low relative humidity,” he said. “The amount of moisture in the air is less than 10%, which is critical for us, for the behavior of the fires and the persistent Santa Ana winds.”

“Gusts of up to 100 mph are possible in wind-prone mountain areas,” county emergency officials said in a statement. “In addition to the windy conditions, low relative humidity is expected with poor recovery overnight. A red flag warning was issued from 4 a.m. Wednesday through 6 p.m. Thursday for all areas of Ventura County.”

At a press conference Wednesday, Ventura County Fire Chief Dustin Gardner urged all residents who have been ordered to evacuate their homes as soon as possible.

“This is not one of those fires where you can wait and predict and maybe stay home,” he said. “Your houses are replaceable, but your life is not. Leave… Our firefighters and law enforcement agencies are doing everything they can to protect lives, so we need your help to stay out of the way.”

Evacuation order

  • Zone 1 – North of Somis: Areas north of East Los Angeles Avenue/Hwy 118, west of Balcom Canyon Road, and east of La Vista Avenue
  • Zone 2 – Saticoy Country Club: East of Los Angeles Ave/Hwy 118, south of Santa Clara River and north of Beardsley Road
  • Zone 3 – Areas south of Hwy 118, west of N. Lewis Road, north of North Loop Drive and Mission Drive, and east of Fairway Drive
  • Zone 4 – West Camarillo (Las Posas/Spanish Hills areas): North of Las Posas Road, south and east of Central Avenue and Beardsley Road, and west of Anacapa Drive.
  • Zone 6 – The area south of the Santa Clara River, east of Los Angeles Avenue, north of the Saticoy County Club and west of Briggs Road
  • Zone 7 – Area north of Hwy 101 and south and east of Beardsley Avenue and south of Central Avenue
  • Zone 9 – Area east of Santa Paula Community Golf Course, north along the Santa Clara River, west of South Mountain Road at Sespe Street, south to Bixby Road
  • Zone 10 – Area extending east of 12th Street to Willard Road, south of HWY 126 along the Santa Clara River
  • Somis without a legal entity
    • West to: Saticoy Country Club
    • East to Balcom Canyon Road
    • South to Highway 118

Evacuation warning

  • The area south of South Mountain Road, east of Briggs Road and west of 12th Street and Bixby Road

Evacuation shelters

  • Padre Serra Parish — 5205 Upland Rd., Camarillo, CA 93012
  • Ventura County Fairgrounds (for large animals) — 10 E. Harbor Blvd., Ventura, CA 93001
  • Ventura County Animal Control (for small animals) — 600 Aviation Dr. Camarillo, 93010

A man whose home was destroyed by the Camarillo wildfire shares his thoughts on the loss. This video was broadcast on NBC4 News at 7:00 PM on Wednesday, November 6, 2024.

Closing schools

Due to the ongoing fire, several schools in Ventura County have declared closures. The following schools will be closed on Thursday and Friday:

  • ACE Charter High School
  • Mesa Union School District
  • Santa Paula Unified School District
  • dung. Channel Islands State University

The following schools and districts will be closed Thursday:

  • Bridges Charter School
  • Briggs School District
  • CAPE Charter School
  • Golden Valley Charter School Resource Center
  • Hueneme Elementary School District
  • Ivy Tech Charter School Resource Center
  • MATES Charter School
  • Mupu Primary School District
  • Oxnard School District (K-8)
  • Oxnard Union High School District
  • Peak Prep Academy Resource Center
  • Pleasant Valley School District
  • Rio School District
  • River Oaks Academy Resource Centers (Oxnard and Westlake)
  • Santa Clara Elementary School District
  • Somis Union School District
  • University preparatory school
  • Vista Real Charter High School (Camarillo, Oxnard, Port Hueneme and Ventura)

A wildfire that broke out this morning in Ventura County has burned at least 10,000 acres. Jonathan Gonzalez reports for NBC4 News at 5:00 PM on Wednesday, November 6, 2024.

Power outage

Crews continue to battle the blaze, which left thousands of Ventura County residents without power Wednesday and Thursday.

As of 12:15 a.m. Thursday, about 42,000 customers were without power. according to the sheriff’s department.

According to Capt. Trevor Johnson of the Ventura County Fire Department, the fire is burning in several ways.

“The fire burns on a variety of fuels, including agricultural and various shrubs and grasses that are in our county,” Johnson said. “Resources that initially arrived on scene encountered a heavy firefight.”

Gus Garcia, who owns a ranch south of the fire, told The Associated Press that he was waiting to see if the situation changed before evacuating horses and livestock. His ranch is surrounded by others with horses and alpacas, and Garcia said his neighbors in the canyon didn’t seem to panic.

“The horse community is gearing up for this because there’s always an opportunity,” he said.

The latest information on wildfires in the state of California shows a staggering increase in the number of acres burned compared to last year. As of Monday, Cal Fire said more than 1 million acres had burned since the start of the year. At this point last year, only 308,000 acres were burning.

The five-year average is 1.2 million acres through Nov. 4.

Ventura County residents can sign up to receive the latest emergency information from the county through VC Alert. Click here for more information.