“Everything was gone in the afternoon”: Firefighters gain ground against fire near LA

Firefighters battling a devastating fire that destroyed at least 132 homes and 8,300 hectares of vegetation in California are gaining ground Friday evening, thanks to improving weather conditions.

More than 2,400 firefighters are still mobilized against the “Mountain Fire”, which broke out Wednesday near the town of Camarillo.

Its violence forced around 10,000 people to evacuate this hilly rural area, which has 30,000 inhabitants, northwest of Los Angeles.

The flames initially spread very quickly thanks to powerful winds, with gusts of up to 130 km/h.

This surprised Linda Fefferman, who had to flee in disaster with her husband.

The car had barely been loaded, “we learned that a tree had fallen (on the road) and was blocking our exit,” she told local channel KTLA. “It was scary, because we felt like we were trapped.”

One of his neighbors finally managed to clear the obstacle with a chainsaw.

The couple managed to escape but lost two pets and their house was charred.

“Total loss”

“It’s a total loss,” Ms. Fefferman sighed, her voice trembling.

Her husband returned to the site to assess the extent of the damage, but she is currently refusing to leave the emergency accommodation center where they are sheltering.

“Emotionally, I’m not ready,” she said. “I take things day by day.”

California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in the region to help fight the fire.

According to the White House, US President Joe Biden called Newsom on Friday to discuss the “support needed” by those affected and the release of federal financial aid.

The fire has consumed more than 8,300 hectares, according to the latest bulletin from the CalFire agency. A first estimate of the damage by the authorities shows 132 houses completely destroyed and around 88 badly damaged by the flames.

Robin Wallace was one of those who lost their home. Her home, in which she was raised by her parents, was destroyed after she fled.

“We thought we could go back and get a few things. But of course, it didn’t work,” she told AFP. “Everything disappeared in the afternoon. It happened very quickly.”

Progress

Friday evening, firefighters reported progress against the flames, the wind having calmed. “Today was a very successful day for us” regarding the fire, Nick Cleary of the Ventura County Fire Department told reporters, adding that 14% of the fire is now under control.

The lull in winds is expected to last several days, according to weather services. But the region is not out of the woods yet.

“Fire remains a threat to critical infrastructure,” CalFire warned. It “burns in steep, rugged terrain, with dry fuels.”

Power companies cut power to thousands of customers in the area, a common practice in California during high winds, with toppled power lines often sparking fires.

After two rainy winters which provided a relative respite, California is experiencing a very active fire season this year.

The vegetation reformed thanks to the precipitation of the last two years has dried up and becomes a powerful fuel.

This summer, the “Golden State” suffered from several heat waves, signs of global warming.

In July-August, it suffered the fourth largest fire in its history.

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