At least 130 homes have been lost due to a wildfire sweeping through the outskirts of Los Angeles, as a change in the weather provided firefighters with a window to combat the blaze.
Hurricane-force winds earlier this week fueled a rapid expansion of the Mountain Fire near Camarillo, which grew swiftly to over 20,000 acres.
Thousands of residents in the fire’s path had to evacuate, some with mere minutes to collect belongings and pets as erratic flames spread from house to house.
Robin Wallace recounted to AFP that her childhood home was destroyed just moments after everyone escaped.
Authorities reported that initial assessments indicated at least 132 homes had been lost.
“It was completely gone by the afternoon. It went very quickly,” she stated.
Linda Fefferman shared that she realized she needed to leave when she detected the scent of smoke.
“I was trying to load the car with animals and important documents, my oxygen concentrator, and when the smoke became overwhelming, I knew I had to evacuate,” she told a local news outlet.
A neighbor with a chainsaw assisted in clearing a fallen tree that was obstructing her exit.
“I went down to the Goodwill parking lot, watching the smoke, likely from our own house burning,” she added.
“Nothing remains. It’s gone,” she said. “It’s all vanished.”
Ms. Fefferman estimated that 14 or 15 houses on her street had been engulfed by the flames.
Authorities announced on Thursday that preliminary inspections had confirmed at least 132 homes were destroyed, with an additional 88 sustaining damage.
Threat to critical infrastructure
The fire broke out on Wednesday morning and spread quickly, fueled by intense seasonal Santa Ana winds from California’s desert region.
Winds peaking at 130km an hour pushed smoke and flames in horizontal directions, with alarming footage showing fire consuming brush, orchards, and properties.
Wind speeds dropped yesterday, and meteorologists indicated they did not expect a return of those conditions for several days.
California Governor Gavin Newsom visited the site and declared a state of emergency.
This was welcome news for firefighters, some of whom had been on the frontlines for 36 consecutive hours, according to Ventura County Fire Chief Dustin Gardner.
Despite the break in winds, the fire remained only seven percent contained, and the vicinity – home to 30,000 residents – remained at risk.
“The fire is spreading through steep, rugged terrain, with dry and combustible fuels complicating containment efforts,” a report from Cal Fire stated.
“The fire poses a threat to critical infrastructure. Islands of unburned vegetation will continue to ignite within the fire perimeter,” it continued.
California Governor Gavin Newsom visited the area and declared a state of emergency, enabling the release of additional resources.
Over 2,500 personnel were involved in combating the fire.
Ground crews are working to defend homes using hose lines and collaborating with bulldozers to eliminate fuel. Air support has dropped water and flame retardant.
Utility companies have cut off power to thousands of customers in the area – a standard procedure in California during high wind conditions, as downed power lines can frequently spark wildfires.
Following two relatively wet years, California’s landscape has become laden with vegetation that has turned dry and highly combustible after a prolonged, hot summer.
While fires, drought, and strong winds are typical of the local climate, scientists argue that human-induced climate change is influencing weather patterns and heightening the frequency of catastrophic incidents.
