Wildfires fanned by strong winds are spreading “dangerously fast” in California, destroying dozens of homes and forcing thousands of people to evacuate. Forecasters have warned of the potential for “extreme and life-threatening” fires.
The Ventura County fire grew from less than half a square mile to 16 square miles in just over five hours.
Firefighters are rushing to the house to save lives. Photo: Associated Press
“This fire is moving dangerously fast,” Ventura County Fire Chief Dustin Gardner said.
“The bushes are on fire, the grass is on fire, the hedges are on fire, the farmland is on fire, the buildings are on fire.”
Fire in Camarillo, California. Photo: Associated Press
Santa Paula, California. Photo: Associated Press
More than 10,000 people were ordered to evacuate as the fire’s spread threatened 3,500 structures in suburban communities, ranches and agricultural areas around Camarillo, according to a statement from Gov. Gavin Newsom.
“We continue to provide state and local firefighters with the support they need to save lives and property from this intense fire,” he said in a post on social media platform X.
More than 10,000 people have been ordered to evacuate. Photo: Reuters
Thick smoke rose hundreds of feet into the sky Wednesday, blanketing entire neighborhoods and obscuring visibility for firefighters and evacuees.
Ventura County Fire Chief Trevor Johnson said firefighters were rushing to the home to save lives as the blaze threatened.
Dozens of homes and buildings were destroyed. Photo: Reuters
“Everything is dangerous outside,” he told reporters.
“While driving, you can’t see five feet in front of the engine, and you’re driving in and around burning power lines and gas lines.
“This is really intense. I think the hairs on the back of the firefighters’ necks were standing up.”
Authorities said they were using all available resources, including helicopters dropping water and fixed-wing aircraft dropping fire retardant.
Steve Taylor lost his home in Camarillo, a city of about 74,000 people, to a fire.
“We are shocked by the devastation,” he told NBC Los Angeles.
“We’re not the only family that has suffered a great loss. It’s just something. But it’s something that makes memories.”
Areas east of the Pacific Coast city of Ventura will receive federal aid after Newsom’s request is granted, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Fire chiefs warned the fire was progressing at a “dangerous rate”. Photo: Reuters
To the south, Los Angeles County Fire Department crews struggled to extinguish a wildfire near Broad Beach in Malibu.
Authorities temporarily closed Pacific Coast Highway as flames burned near a multimillion-dollar property.
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Expected wind gusts of 50 mph (80 kph) to 100 mph (160 kph) and humidity levels as low as 8% create “extreme and life-threatening” fire conditions in some areas of Southern California. could be in place, the National Weather Service said.
Forecasters have also issued a red flag warning through Thursday from California’s central coast through the San Francisco Bay Area to northern counties, where strong winds are also expected.
