California Wildfire Engulfs 14,000 Acres in Ventura County: Mass Evacuations, Home Destruction, and Power Outages as Mountain Fire Rages.
California wildfire blazed across 22 sq miles in the Somis area and by late evening, innumerable houses were destroyed, forcing evacuations of the residents there. Areas like Ventura, Camarillo, Santa Paula, Fillmore and regions in between were affected by the engulfing flames and people were seen rushing to the area hospitals.
7900 block of Bradley Road and Balcom Canyon Road were severely affected by the fanning winds of Santa Ana before 9 a.m. Strangely enough, the California wildfire jumped Highway 118 near Camarillo Heights and burnt a large portion of South Camarillo, north towards Santa Paula and west toward Ventura all along the day. At that time, the clock stood at 10:45 a.m.
Administration orders evacuation amidst California wildfire
Unincorporated nearby areas of Somis, Camarillo Heights and other areas near these places, have been included under the evacuation orders by early afternoon:
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, and south of the 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 extends south of Santa Clara River, east of Los Angeles Avenue, north of Saticoy County Club, and west of Briggs Road.
Zone 7 – The area north of Hwy 101 south and east of Beardsley Avenue, and south of Central Avenue.
Zone 9- The area east of Santa Paula Community Golf Course, north along the Santa Clara River, west of South Mountain Road at Sespe Street, and south to Bixby Road.
At 5205 Upland Road in the Camarillo area, a shelter has been earmarked at Padre Serra Parish.
Later, evacuation warnings were extended to Zone 8 – An area extending south of South Mountain Road, east of Briggs Road, and west of 12th Street and Bixby Road.
California: What everyone feared was coming, has arrived. #cawx #cafire #wildfire #weather
— The Hotshot Wake Up (@HotshotWake) November 6, 2024
The Mountain Fire is being fueled by incredibly strong Santa Ana winds in Ventura County, California. In just a couple hours it has grown to over 10,400 acres and continues to burn… pic.twitter.com/ZMNRUUYIsJ
Due to the California wildfire, Road closures were being observed at:
Northbound Lewis Road at Las Posas
Eastbound Highway 118 at Wells Road
Westbound Highway 118 at Tierra Rejada Road
101 northbound off-ramps at Central Avenue
Acreage tops 14,000, containment at 0%
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire reported that the fire burnt over 14,000 acres around 7:46 p.m. and was still burning. The report didn`t disclose the exact number of houses damaged. The Star reporters and Photographers reported houses burning all day long in the California wildfire. The areas of Camarillo and Somis were most affected.
Due to the ravaging fire, schools in Ventura County will be closed till Thursday. A list compiled by Wednesday evening from the Ventura County Office of Education said that innumerable schools and individual campuses were going to be closed in Ventura County till Thursday evening when about 70,000 students go to study. Other schools have opted for closure on Friday as well.
An additional evacuation order was reported at about 6:15 p.m. from the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office. The area includes east of the Santa Paula Community Golf Course, north along the Santa Clara River, west of South Mountain Road and south to Bixby Road.
Infeasibility of the Retardant drops
With the help of water-dropping Helicopters, tankers and other aircraft, flames were calmed after the Mountain Fire started in the Ventura County Department.
Trevor Johnson, county fire Capt. said that initially, the fixed-wing aircraft were not able to drop the retardant on the blazing fire, at a news conference here on Wednesday afternoon. Only later, an air tactical supervisor decided about the possibility of dropping the retardants despite the roaring Santa Ana winds.
After a proper assessment of the situation by the authorities in many areas, the California wildfire continued to burn throughout the day, the aircraft dropped the retardant at a number of spots.
The California wildfire operations section chief, Johnson said, “We’re continuing to scout for opportunities to use that to our advantage. “We’ll continue to do so through the remainder of the incident,” added he.
Evacuation orders lifted in Ventura County
The east end of the city of Ventura has been excluded from the evacuation orders from Petit Road east to the city limits, by the concerned authorities. Yet, the city officials say that the National Weather Service’s red flag warning is still effective for the said area. They have already alarmed the residents about emergency notifications should the situation go once again beyond control and thereby stay vigilant. To sign up for emergency alerts, go to readyventuracounty.org/vc-alert/.
Speeding flames of the `Mountain Fire`
The 50 mph California wildfire winds initially on Wednesday, gained speed of over 80 mph in Santa Ana and have threatened the area said Ventura County Fire Chief Dustin Gardner. Help was available from the firefighters of Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Kern and Orange counties as well as Cal Fire.
At a news conference, Gardener said “Every helicopter, every fixed-wing aircraft, everything we’ve been able to get a hold of is here fighting this fire. California wildfire is moving at a dangerous rate of spread. This fire has spotted more than 2 1/2 miles out in front of itself,” he disclosed further.
Urging people to act immediately upon getting an evacuation order for leaving the areas affected by the fire, he said that this wasn’t something to be watched for.
“Bushes are burning, grass is burning, hedgerows are burning, agricultural fields are burning, and structures are burning. This fire is moving dangerously fast,” said Gardener.
The fire had been barely controlled, wherein about 10,458 acres had been lost to it by 3 p.m. To help the state battle the California wildfire, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has already given the authority to use the funds accordingly.
The Fire Management Assistant Grant has received the request from the state for the same purpose as per the statement released by FEMA. The California wildfire is presently posing a big threat to about 3,500 homes belonging to the Somis, Saticoy and Camarillo communities. The overall population is said the be about 30,000 which are going to be affected by this fire.
Federal funding up to 75% of the cost incurred on the firefighting process will be provided by the grant. Expenses for equipment use, field camps, supplies and mobilization to fight the fire are included in the eligible costs. At about 2:36 p.m. FEMA`s Region 9 Administrator provided the authority for these important steps to contain the California wildfire.
Camarillo and Oxnard issued an air quality alert
On Wednesday afternoon, an air quality alert was put forth for Oxnard and Camarillo by the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District. Residents were suggested to remain indoors as much as possible, close windows and doors and operate home and car air conditioning units in recirculation mode by the district authorities.
N95 mask, a properly fitting one, was recommended by the officials for those, who had to work outside. The suggestion was issued, owing to the damage done by the wildfire smoke and ash to the heart and the lungs.
In case the California wildfire smoke reaches unhealthy and dangerous levels, the officials are prompted to send text and audio alerts to the residents. For this purpose, one has only to text “SMOKE” for English or “HUMO” for Spanish, Mixteco and Zapoteco messages to 855-522-0034. The website airnow.gov has issued air quality data which will be updated from time to time.
Temporary evacuee shelter at Parish due to California wildfire
A spokesperson for the American Red Cross, David Wagner said that Padre Serra Parish has been located for the people affected by the fire. This is the place where they can get information, make calls to relatives, and have a place to stay as they plan their next moves.
The temporary arrangement will be turned into a permanent one, Wagner further said that it will include a trailer carrying cots and food on standby. However, pets and animals aren`t allowed inside. A number of people carrying with them their pets were seen at the parking lot on Wednesday.
Saticoy inching towards the fire saga
A video was posted on social media by the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, showing the onward rapid movement of the California wildfire towards Saticoy. At an online site, vcemergency.com, residents have been asked to update themselves about the evacuation orders and the shelter locations.
10,000 acres burnt by the fire
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection on Wednesday re[orted that the California wildfire had burnt about 10,458 acres of the woods. Whereas innumerable photos and videos are showing home burning, the exact number of the structures lost wasn’t available.
Ventura reports power outages
Sections of Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park, Camarillo, Somis, Simi Valley, Santa Paula and Piru apart from other regions, have been put under power shut-offs by the Southern California Edison.
For the prevention of fire sparking once again, this time from the electrical equipment, the company de-energized the lines, a method called Public Safety Power Shutoffs, or PSPS.
Diane Castro, a company spokesperson added, “We really do it as a last resort to protect our communities, especially when these weather conditions elevate the risk of California wildfire.”Information about the shut-offs and areas being monitored is available at sce.com/outage-center/check-outage-status.
Ventura County Animal Services is instrumental in evacuations for the livestock that need immediate attention too. For this, a rescue team has been dedicatedly allotted to take care that dogs, cats, rabbits and all the other small animals are safely being shifted to the animal shelter on Aviation Drive in Camarillo. All eight primary campus schools have been closed in Oxnard, Camarillo, which includes Rancho Campana High School, Camarillo High School, Rio Mesa High School, Channel Islands High School, Del Sol High School, Hueneme High School, Oxnard High School and Pacifica High School.
