California Mountain Fire causes 10,000 to evacuate
(NewsNation) — More than 130 homes have been destroyed in southern California as fire rages through Ventura County.
The blaze began Thursday morning in the Somis and Camarillo areas and was initially categorized as a 50-acre bushfire. Later, it exploded and forced thousands to leave their homes.
Other affected areas include Moorpark, Camarillo Heights, and Santa Paula, all of which are northwest of Los Angeles.
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More than 10,000 have left threatened areas according to KTLA, as part of mandatory evacuation orders. In a press conference Thursday, officials said 10 injuries had occurred but none were life-threatening.
A house is engulfed in flames from the Santa Ana wind-fed Mountain fire, in Camarillo, California, on November 6, 2024. A wildfire fanned by powerful winds was burning out of control near Los Angeles on November 6, with scores of residents ordered to evacuate and some taken to hospital. Fierce gusts up to 80 miles (130 kilometers) an hour were pushing smoke sideways and fueling flames that were tearing through farmland. (Photo by ETIENNE LAURENT / AFP) (Photo by ETIENNE LAURENT/AFP via Getty Images) A firefighter attempts to control the blaze burning a house as the Santa Ana wind-fed Mountain fire scorches acres, in Camarillo, California, on November 6, 2024. A wildfire fanned by powerful winds was burning out of control near Los Angeles on November 6, with scores of residents ordered to evacuate and some taken to hospital. Fierce gusts up to 80 miles (130 kilometers) an hour were pushing smoke sideways and fueling flames that were tearing through farmland. (Photo by ETIENNE LAURENT / AFP) (Photo by ETIENNE LAURENT/AFP via Getty Images) A firefighter attempts to control the blaze burning a structure as the Santa Ana wind-fed Mountain fire scorches acres, in Camarillo, California, on November 6, 2024. A wildfire fanned by powerful winds was burning out of control near Los Angeles on November 6, with scores of residents ordered to evacuate and some taken to hospital. Fierce gusts up to 80 miles (130 kilometers) an hour were pushing smoke sideways and fueling flames that were tearing through farmland. (Photo by ETIENNE LAURENT / AFP) (Photo by ETIENNE LAURENT/AFP via Getty Images) A house is engulfed in flames as the Santa Ana wind-fed Mountain fire scorches acres, in Camarillo, California, on November 6, 2024. A wildfire fanned by powerful winds was burning out of control near Los Angeles on November 6, with scores of residents ordered to evacuate and some taken to hospital. Fierce gusts up to 80 miles (130 kilometers) an hour were pushing smoke sideways and fueling flames that were tearing through farmland. (Photo by ETIENNE LAURENT / AFP) (Photo by ETIENNE LAURENT/AFP via Getty Images) CAMARILLO, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 6: A Los Angeles County firefighter battles flames as a home burns from the Mountain Fire on November 6, 2024 in Camarillo, California. Pushed by strong winds, the fire has burned across more than 10,000 acres since it began this morning. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images) TOPSHOT – A firefighter walks on a path engulfed in smoke and embers as high winds push the Mountain Fire in Camarillo Heights, Camarillo, California, on November 6, 2024. (Photo by ETIENNE LAURENT / AFP) (Photo by ETIENNE LAURENT/AFP via Getty Images) CAMARILLO, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 6: A helicopter drops fire retardant as a home burns from the Mountain Fire on November 6, 2024 in Camarillo, California. Pushed by strong winds, the fire has burned across more than 10,000 acres since it began this morning. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images) TOPSHOT – A firefighter tries to control the fire burning down a house as the Mountain Fire scorches acres, the wildfire fueled by strong Santa Ana winds, in Camarillo, California, on November 6, 2024. A wildfire fanned by powerful winds was burning out of control near Los Angeles on Wednesday, with scores of residents ordered to evacuate and some taken to the hospital. Multiple large homes were destroyed as the fire tore through neighborhoods, blanketing a huge area in thick, choking smoke. (Photo by ETIENNE LAURENT / AFP) (Photo by ETIENNE LAURENT/AFP via Getty Images) TOPSHOT – A firefighting helicopter makes drop over the Mountain Fire in Camarillo Heights, Camarillo, California, on November 6, 2024. A wildfire fanned by powerful winds was burning out of control near Los Angeles, with scores of residents ordered to evacuate and some taken to hospital. Fierce gusts up to 80 miles (130 kilometers) an hour were pushing smoke sideways and fueling flames that were tearing through farmland. (Photo by ETIENNE LAURENT / AFP) (Photo by ETIENNE LAURENT/AFP via Getty Images)
Ventura County Air Pollution Control District has issued an alert strongly suggesting that residents avoid strenuous outdoor activity or stay inside.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency.
“This is a dangerous fire that’s spreading quickly and threatening lives,” Newsom said in a statement released Thursday.
“State resources have been mobilized to protect communities, and this federal support from the Biden-Harris Administration will give state and local firefighters the resources they need to save lives and property as they continue battling this aggressive fire.”
Currently, the cause of the fire is still being investigated.
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