Over 130 homes have been destroyed in a wind-fueled wildfire in Southern California that has grown to over 20,000 acres, officials said Thursday as firefighters continued to try to control the blaze in Ventura County.
Damage assessment teams were conducting inspections after the Mountain Fire, which is still burning, set homes ablaze in Camarillo Heights and other parts of the county.
In 298 inspections of homes, 132 were found destroyed and 88 were damaged, Ventura County Fire Department spokesperson Andy VanSciver said at a news conference. Video from NBC Los Angeles showed homes burned to the ground.
"The devastation is absolutely heartbreaking," Ventura County Sheriff James Fryhoff said. He said some residents escaped with nothing but their lives.
The Mountain Fire erupted at 8:51 a.m. Wednesday and was fueled by what fire officials called a significant Santa Ana wind event, with gusts of over 60 mph. Embers from the fire were carried over 2 miles and started spot fires.
The fire burned 20,485 acres and was 5% contained by Thursday evening, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. It broke out between the communities of Moorpark and Somis.
Ten people have been injured, mostly from smoke inhalation, Fryhoff said.
Authorities have contacted more than 14,000 residents in evacuation zones, Fryhoff said. He did not know how many people have evacuated.
No people were reported missing in the aftermath of the fire Thursday, he said. No deaths have been reported.
The fire was so fast-moving and dangerous that firefighters got people out of their homes and drove them out of the area in fire engines, Ventura County Fire Capt. Trevor Johnson has said.
Steve Taylor was one of the Camarillo Heights residents whose homes burned to rubble.
He told NBC Los Angeles that he grabbed a wedding ring and a few photos of his dad, who died about 10 years ago, before he jumped in his car and fled.
“And 10 minutes later, I guess, the whole thing just blew up,” Taylor told the station. “So we were fortunate that everyone got out and everyone’s safe and we have our memories here. And we’ll make new memories.”
Ventura County Fire Chief Dustin Gardner said that "the fuels are ripe to burn, the winds are extreme, the fire is still actively burning," and he warned people to be ready to leave and to follow evacuation orders.
Anyone who can smell smoke should be ready to leave, Gardner said. And when the order comes, they need to get out, he said.
"We see it over and over and over: People will have the best intentions to stay and defend their home right up until the time the fire hits their home," Gardner said. "And it gets hot, it gets smoky, you can’t see, you can’t breathe — and you sure as hell can’t defend your home. And then you’re stuck."
