Homes burned, residents evacuated in California amid ‘life-threatening’ fire conditions

While many residents have evacuated, Tyler Kelleher told CNN others in Camarillo, California, stayed put, ready to defend their homes as the Mountain Fire encroached.

“Many stayed in the surrounding neighborhoods with water tanks or just hoses, ready to defend their homes,” Kelleher said. “Some had lost their homes in previous fires and were going to stand their ground.”

In a video captured by Kelleher, the facade of one house is all that’s left standing – its interior burnt and smoking. Flames are seen in the background, and the husk of one charred vehicle sits in the driveway:

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Facade of Camarillo, California, home is all left standing after wildfire

00:22 - Source: CNN

Video credit: Tyler Kelleher

A firefighter prepares to douse flames while battling the Mountain Fire in Santa Paula, California on November 6.

Fierce winds threaten to exacerbate a the Mountain Fire in Southern California, which has exploded in size over the course of just one day and forced the evacuations of thousands of people.

Here’s a recap:

Thousands flee: The Mountain Fire in Ventura County has burned at least 14,148 acres since it erupted west of Los Angeles on Wednesday morning, according to Cal Fire. The fire, which is 0% contained, has prompted evacuation orders across parts of the area. On Wednesday, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office made 14,000 contacts in an effort to get residents to flee, Sheriff James Fryhoff said.

Scores of homes potentially impacted: Officials haven’t yet determined the number of structures damaged in the fire. But they are “aware that a number of structures have been damaged or destroyed,” Ventura County Fire Department spokesperson Andy VanSciver said at a news conference, noting the agency expects to begin counting impacted structures Thursday. In a statement, the office of California Gov. Gavin Newsom estimated roughly 3,500 strictures were threatened.

Deteriorating conditions: Fierce winds will make the job of firefighters more difficult as the sun rises. Sustained winds of 20 to 30 mph – with wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph – are expected across the area Thursday morning. The wind will ease slightly this afternoon, and it won’t be as strong as it was Wednesday. But it will still pose a considerable risk amid tinder-dry conditions. “Any new fires … will have rapid fire spread (and) extreme fire behavior,” the National Weather Service in Los Angeles warned.

Hundreds deployed in response: At least 800 firefighters and 58 fire engines are battling the blaze on South Mountain. The conditions are unsafe for helicopters, Fire Captain Trevor Johnson said at Wednesday’s news conference.

A house is engulfed in the flames of the Mountain Fire in Camarillo, California, on November 6.

Steve Taylor has owned a home in the Ventura County city of Camarillo for nearly 40 years, but it’s now a pile of ashes.

“We would celebrate Christmas Eve here every year, and Thanksgiving, and those memories we have, but the place is gone,” Taylor told CNN affiliate KABC.

As the Mountain fire closed in, Taylor tried to save his home, but the flames were coming too fast. “I got up on the roof and started hosing (it) down. And then they just started coming and they started evacuating us,” he told KABC.

Taylor said the wind was howling and firefighters were overwhelmed.

“It all happened in such a short amount of time,” he said.

In nearby Moorpark, Steve Abel and his son Erik said they ignored evacuation orders to help save homes on their street.

“If we would’ve left, all three of these houses would be gone,” Erik Abel, Steve’s son, told KABC.

The pair used shovels and garden hoses to put out embers, getting so close at times their clothes were singed.

“We had no pressure, but it was enough to … stop the fire,” Steve Abel told the outlet. “It’s so windy, you can’t keep your hat on, but it’s blowing the fire like crazy.”

Smoke and flames billow from the Mountain Fire in Santa Paula, California on November 6.

Meteorologists spotted the fire danger coming well in advance and used some of the most extreme wording and alerts in their arsenal to get the message out.

Early this week, forecasters warned this setup looked concerningly similar to setup that have produced “some of the worst fires in Southern California history.”

On Tuesday, the Storm Prediction Center highlighted parts of Ventura County and Los Angeles County with a level 3 of 3 extremely critical fire weather risk on Wednesday, when the fires broke out. It was the first such risk issued for the area since 2020’s devastating wildfire season.

A “particularly dangerous situation” red flag warning started Wednesday and continued Thursday for the same areas, according to the National Weather Service in Los Angeles. It’s the most extreme form of fire weather warning available to the weather service.

“This is a dangerous fire weather event,” the service warned Tuesday. “Any new fires… will have rapid fire spread (and) extreme fire behavior.”

The Mountain Fire has burned more than 14,000 acres in Ventura County since it began Wednesday. Powerful winds are expected to continue Thursday, worsening conditions for firefighters who are working to save lives and homes.

A firefighter pulls a hose in front of a home burned by the Mountain Fire in Camarillo, California, on Wednesday, November 6.

Flames consume a home in Camarillo on Wednesday.

Firefighters put out the flames surrounding a house in Camarillo on Wednesday.

Firefighters and sheriff's deputies push a vintage car away from a burning home in Camarillo on Wednesday.

A firefighting helicopter flies near a burning house on Wednesday in Camarillo.

Firefighters work to extinguish a fire while a helicopter drops retardant in Camarillo, California on November 6.

Fire weather conditions for the Mountain Fire will deteriorate quickly after sunrise as winds get stronger in Ventura County.

Sustained winds of 20 to 30 mph with wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph are likely for the area this morning. The strongest winds are most likely in the highest terrain, but gusty winds will spread the fire quickly at any elevation.

Winds will ease slightly in the afternoon, but sustained winds of 10 to 20 mph and gusts to 30 mph are still possible. Today’s winds won’t be quite as strong as Wednesday’s, but will still pose a considerable risk as wind-driven flames will quickly tear through tinder-dry fuels.

Wind speeds will drop considerably Thursday night, with sustained winds of less than 10 mph and minimal gusts.

Christina Noren, 50, began worrying about the smoke in the sky near her Camarillo Heights home around 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, she told CNN. Within 45 minutes, police and fire officials were knocking on doors in her neighborhood, telling people to leave immediately.

“And they were really like, get the hell out of there now,” said Noren.

Noren and her husband, 62-year-old Paul Boutin, quickly fled, with just enough time to grab their dog, their laptops, some clothes, toothbrushes and Boutin’s thyroid medication.

Boutin has been in remission from thyroid cancer since August, but just had a related surgery last week and the couple was anxious about Boutin inhaling any smoke. They chose to evacuate to a hotel in Pismo Beach, more than 100 miles away, rather than a closer evacuation center.

“You know, the last thing that he needs is to be breathing smoke for the next 2 or 3 days,” said Noren.

An artist, Noren has collected art for more than 30 years. But she had to leave everything behind when she evacuated.

“These are large scale works. These are 8-foot by 8-foot sculptures, 8-foot by 8-foot paintings. This is not stuff you dump in the Prius,” said Noren. She’ll “have a good cry and a good scream” if her collection is gone, she said.

Southern California’s main electric provider cut off power intentionally overnight to tens of thousands of customers as a precaution as the Mountain Fire grows in Ventura County.

Southern California Edison says it turned off the power to 69,931 customers – including 23,603 in Ventura County – as part of its Public Safety Power Shutoff plan.

The spread of a number of past devastating wildfires has been blamed on fallen power lines that remained energized, prompting power companies to plan for broad shutoffs before that can happen again.

SoCal Edison says power shutoffs to an additional 180,000 customers due to the wildfire are “being considered.”

The Mountain Fire burns in Camarillo, California.

The Mountain Fire in Ventura County, northwest of Los Angeles, is spreading at a “dangerous rate,” Ventura County Fire Chief Dustin Gardner said at a news conference Wednesday.

As of Thursday morning, the fire has burned more than 14,000 acres since it began Wednesday and damaged or destroyed several structures, officials said. It had 0% containment.

More than 14,000 people are under evacuation orders, according to the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, and schools in the county are closed.

At least two people have been transported to the hospital with possible smoke inhalation, fire officials said.

A powerful and long-duration Santa Ana wind event will continue Thursday, bringing another day of gusty winds and fire weather to the region. These winds helped the Mountain Fire in Ventura County quickly spread Wednesday, damaging homes and forcing evacuations.

Winds should increase again for the Mountain Fire area Thursday morning, where the Storm Prediction Center has issued a critical fire weather risk – a level 2 of 3.

Sustained winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts of 40 to 50 mph are possible before decreasing to 10 to 20 mph with gusts of 20 to 30 mph in the afternoon.

This is a slight improvement to Wednesday, where the area was under an extremely critical fire weather risk – a level 3 of 3. It was the first level 3 of 3 risk since December 2020.