Firefighters making progress on Mountain Fire as Santa Ana winds subside, but flames remain a threat
Crews are using a break in the Santa Ana winds to make headway on the devastating Mountain Fire, which has burned hundreds of homes and injured half a dozen people in Ventura County.
In an update issued just before 6 a.m. Saturday, CAL FIRE confirmed that the blaze, which broke out Wednesday morning near Balcom Canyon and Bradley roads in Somis, stood at 20,630 acres and was 17% contained.
Late Friday night, officials stated that fire activity “moderated” due to the decrease in wind speeds, which reached as high as 80 miles per hour in some locations this week and made the firefight incredibly challenging.
That said, the threat to structures remains imminent.
“The fire remains a threat to critical infrastructure,” CAL FIRE said. “Islands of unburned fuel will continue to burn within the fire footprint.”
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Marvin Meador walks on the remains of his fire-ravaged property after the Mountain Fire swept through, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024, in Camarillo, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) -
Tiffany Hobelman leads a horse named Koshan from an enclosure at Swanhill Farms as the Mountain Fire burns in Moorpark, Calif., on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) -
Flames from the Mountain Fire leap along a hillside as horses gallop in an enclosure at Swanhill Farms in Moorpark, Calif., on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) -
Flames from the Mountain Fire leap along a hillside as a horse stands in an enclosure at Swanhill Farms in Moorpark, Calif., on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) -
Kelly Barton, left, is hugged by a family friend after arriving at her parents’ fire-ravaged property in the aftermath of the Mountain Fire, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024, in Camarillo, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) -
Todd Howard, left, sifts through the remains of his parents’ fire-ravaged property with the help of firefighters after the Mountain Fire swept through, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024, in Camarillo, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) -
Flames from the Mountain Fire leap along a hillside as horses gallop in an enclosure at Swanhill Farms in Moorpark, Calif., on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) -
Destroyed homes sit among smoldering hills in the Mountain fire, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in Camarillo, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) -
A 100-year-old home in Santa Paula was destroyed in the Mountain Fire on Nov. 6, 2024. The house, which was once a spot where weddings were held, was reduced to rubble in the 20,000-acre blaze. (KTLA) -
Firefighters and sheriff’s deputies push a vintage car away from a burning home as the Mountain Fire burns in Camarillo, Calif., on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) -
A helicopter drops water over a burning home in the Mountain fire, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, near Camarillo, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) -
A firefighter, moves bicycles as he works against the Mountain fire, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, near Camarillo, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) -
A home burns in the Mountain fire, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, near Camarillo, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) -
A firefighting helicopter drops water on the Mountain Fire in Ventura County, California. Nov. 7, 2024. (KTLA) -
Television reporters film as flames from the Mountain Fire consume a home in Camarillo, Calif., on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) -
Firefighter Missy Forrett with the Beverly Hills Fire Department puts out flames at a home destroyed by the Mountain Fire in Camarillo, Calif., Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP) -
KTLA 5 News reporter Sara Welch reports from Camarillo Heights as a home goes up in flames on live television. (KTLA)
The break in the winds provided a better opportunity to survey the widespread damage from the fire; entire neighborhoods were reduced to ash, mountainsides are now completely charred and families are forever changed.
“It’s horrible…I couldn’t stop crying,” said Suzette Barrick, a local resident. “[My neighbor] Barbara…a sweet lady, her house is gone, but the one next to hers is fine. [The home of] our friend and her husband – super nice, funny people – is now gone to the ground.”
The smoke from the fire has triggered the National Weather Service to issue an Air Quality Alert and mandatory wood burning ban lasting through Saturday afternoon.
Updates on the Mountain Fire from officials can be found below.
A State of Emergency was declared Thursday, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced, adding that FEMA approved a grant to support the firefight. On Friday afternoon, Newsom signed an executive order that will expedite debris removal and cleanup, procure more resources and allow for the mobilization of the California National Guard.
Evacuation orders remain in place for thousands of residents, and an evacuation center has been opened at Padre Serra Parish, located at 5205 Upland Road in Camarillo.
Dozens of displaced animals are being housed at Ventura County Animal Services, located at 600 North Aviation Drive in Camarillo. Stray pets have shown up at its shelters, and evacuated residents were advised to contact Animal Services to bring them home.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. A Mountain Fire hotline has been set up and will be available on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. by calling 805-465-6650.
