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A firefighter attempts to control the blaze burning a house as the Santa Ana wind-fed Mountain fire scorches acres, in Camarillo, California, on November 6, 2024. A wildfire fanned by powerful winds was burning out of control near Los Angeles on November 6, with scores of residents ordered to evacuate and some taken to hospital. Fierce gusts up to 80 miles (130 kilometers) an hour were pushing smoke sideways and fueling flames that were tearing through farmland. (Photo by ETIENNE LAURENT / AFP) (Photo by ETIENNE LAURENT/AFP via Getty Images)Fire crews from Los Angeles and Orange counties and across California are working Thursday to battle a wildfire in Ventura County.
The blaze, known as the Mountain Fire, has forced thousands of people from their homes and has left an unknown number of people injured. It has destroyed “numerous” structures as the fierce Santa Ana winds blow through the area.
The fire was first reported Wednesday morning on South Mountain near the 7900 block of Balcom Canyon and Bradley roads in the Somis area, according to the Ventura County Fire Department. As of Thursday, the blaze has since grown to 19,643 acres, fueled by Santa Ana winds and terrain. The Mountain Fire was at 0% containment and at least 800 firefighters are on scene, as of Thursday.
Damage estimates are expected to be released Friday. As of Thursday, at least two people were injured in the fire. Ventura County Fire Department officials said crews would work through the night to get the flames down.
"Hundreds of mutual aid firefighters continue to arrive on scene from throughout California," according to the department.
There were about 31,200 electrical customers in Ventura County were without power on Thursday, according to county officials. Community resource centers were set up by Southern California Edison at the Arroyo Vista Recreation Center in Moorpark, Simi Valley Senior Center at 3900 Avenida Simi, and the Ventura Beach Marriott at 2055 Harbor Blvd. The centers are open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday.
Hundreds of homes and at least 14,000 people are under evacuation orders. An evacuation center was established at 5205 Upland Road in Camarillo. An evacuation center for large animals was set up at the Ventura County Fairgrounds at 10 E. Harbor Blvd. in Ventura, and for small animals at the Camarillo Airport at 600 Aviation Drive in Camarillo.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state had secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency Wednesday to help fight the blaze.
"This is a dangerous fire that's spreading quickly and threatening lives," Newsom said. "State resources have been mobilized to protect communities, and this federal support from the Biden-Harris Administration will give state and local firefighters the resources they need to save lives and property as they continue battling this aggressive fire."
According to the National Weather Service, the Santa Ana winds are expected to be increased Thursday, but not as powerful as Wednesday’s gusts. Conditions are expected to ease by the end of Thursday.