General
‘Total Nightmare’ as Wildfire Burns Through Southern California Homes
The fast-moving Mountain fire forced thousands to evacuate and destroyed neighborhoods in the hilly communities of Ventura County. “We barely made it out,” one resident said.
Firefighters struggled across steep terrain to battle a fast-moving fire on Thursday in the jagged hills northwest of Los Angeles. Fueled by fierce winds and a lack of moisture, the flames burned through numerous homes and forced more than 10,000 people to evacuate.
More than 14,500 acres were burned a little over 24 hours after the blaze, known as the Mountain fire, broke out in Ventura County on Wednesday morning. The wildfire threatened 3,500 structures, with zero percent containment, fire officials said. They were sending out teams to determine how many homes had been damaged or destroyed.
Ground crews and helicopters focused their containment efforts near the communities of Santa Paula and Somis. At least 800 firefighters were battling the blaze on Thursday, with more expected. Many schools in the area were closed, and officials urged residents to stay away.
