A powerful wildfire, driven by strong winds, continued to sweep through a community northwest of Los Angeles for a second day on Thursday, forcing thousands to evacuate northwest of Malibu and also destroying dozens of homes within hours.
The wildfire initially ignited around 8:50 a.m. on South Mountain near Moorpark, close to the 7900 block of Balcom Canyon Road and Bradley Road, as reported by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).
Named the Mountain Fire, the blaze scorched more than 14,000 acres in Ventura County. It threatened 3,500 structures across suburban neighborhoods, ranches, and farmland near Camarillo, according to a statement from California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Ventura County Fire Department also said that at least 800 firefighters where battling to contain the fire, however, they made zero progress.
The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning for heightened fire risk, despite winds expected to decrease by Thursday night.
"That fire will spread faster up just because fire moves upwards," Climate scientist Dr. Josh Fisher from Chapman University said, according to CBS News, while talking about the multiple factors that combined to drive the wildfire's rapid spread, propelling it up hillsides and through neighborhoods across Ventura County. "So, we've got these conditions of the topography, the wind and the plants — and also close to roads and human property — all just kind of coming together to make this a lot worse than it could've been if the winds were calm, the vegetation was wet." Authorities are currently investigating the cause of the wildfire.
On Wednesday, Ventura County fire officials shared videos on X as the wildfire engulfed structures and homes, triggering the evacuation of more than 10,000 people.
#mountainfire update; as of 10:30 pm the fire is currently at 14,187 acres, with at least 800 firefighters currently assigned to the incident. Firefighting operations continue through the night with both ground resources and night flying helicopters.
— VCFD PIO (@VCFD_PIO) November 7, 2024
Hundreds of mutual aid… pic.twitter.com/vT4Z56ibj0
"Every law enforcement agency available, every helicopter, every fixed-wing aircraft, everything we've been able to get ahold of is here fighting this fire," Ventura County Fire Chief Dustin Gardner said. "And it is moving at a dangerous rate of spread."
Dozens of schools in Ventura County have closed due to the Mountain Fire, with some campuses shutting down due to poor air quality from the wildfire and others due to power shutoffs by utilities aiming to reduce wildfire risks. Schools that remain open are taking precautions, such as keeping students indoors, as smoke and ash spread through the area.
