After forcing thousands of Californians to evacuate and burning more than 100 structures, a stubborn wildfire burning northwest of Los Angeles on Friday challenged fire crews working to put it out, even as winds violent incidents have calmed down in the region.
Overnight, the area burned by the fire — dubbed the Mountain Fire — remained at about 8,100 acres in Ventura County. Containment is estimated at 7%, up from 5% on Thursday, Cal Fire said in an incident update.
“The fire is burning in steep, rugged terrain, with dry, receptive fuels, which has complicated containment efforts,” the agency said. “Fire activity has moderated due to decreasing winds above the fire.
Cal Fire added that the fire remained a threat to critical infrastructure and that islands of unburned fuel would continue to burn within its footprint.
Dennis Gottlieb of Ventura County was among those who lost their home in the fire. He counts himself lucky to still be alive as he waits early Friday morning in a shelter at Padre Serra Parish Catholic Church in Camarillo, Calif., wondering what he’s going to do. He lost everything except his truck.
“It was windy, really windy, but that’s it, so I started my normal day until I saw the smoke and then the fire,” he said. Mr. Gottlieb grabbed some garden hoses and thought he could keep the fire away from the house if necessary.
“Suddenly the smoke became very thick and embers fell all around,” he said. “It was hot, very hot, about 150 degrees (65 C). So I grabbed the keys to my truck.” He and his wife, Linda Fellerman, narrowly escaped. A road was blocked by a fallen tree, until a neighbor cut it down using a chainsaw.
He returned to the scene Thursday to see if he could recover any memorabilia, but said: “Everything is gone. Everything is gone. Everything is burned.”
A red flag warning remained in effect for the region until at least 11 a.m., when winds were expected to calm to less than 15 mph and humidity increase, the National Weather Service said. Weather Service).
On Thursday, more than 10,000 people were ordered to evacuate neighborhoods near Camarillo, about 45 miles (724ed4e km) from Santa Barbara on the Pacific coast. Subsequently, some homes were set alight by embers blown from the fire, as winds gusted up to 80 mph (130 km/h).
More than 130 structures were destroyed by the fire, according to the Los Angeles Times.
“The only thing left standing from our house are the two chimneys,” Darren Kettle told the newspaper. “My heart sank. It’s just shocking, traumatic.”
Warming temperatures led to wet winters that allowed California’s coastal chaparral — areas dominated by small trees, shrubs and bushes — to thrive, climate scientists say. This summer’s record temperatures have dried out hillsides, preparing them for wildfires.
The United States is having a boom year for wildfires, with 3.3 million hectares burned so far, compared to an annual average of about 7 million hectares over the past decade, according to data from the National Interagency Fire Center.
Since the start of the year, California fires have burned more than three times as much land as last year at the same time, according to Cal Fire data.
