Firefighters are rescuing people from homes engulfed in flames as they battle a wildfire moving at a dangerously fast speed in a dense suburban neighborhood northwest of Los Angeles.
Roughly 50 miles south of the Mountain Fire in Ventura County, another brush fire on the highway in Malibu burned 50 acres before fire crews stopped its forward progress and contained it at 15%, the Los Angeles County Fire Department said.
At least two people have been injured and several structures have been damaged or destroyed by the Mountain Fire, which rapidly expanded in size due to a combination of very dry air and powerful Santa Ana winds, prompting National Weather Service forecasters to issue a series of alerts and warnings earlier in the day.
It’s not yet clear how many structures are impacted because it’s too dangerous for damage inspection teams to be on the ground, according to Ventura County fire officials.
“The hair on the back of the firefighter’s neck I’m sure was standing up,” Ventura County Fire Captain Trevor Johnson said at a news conference while discussing one of the rescues on Wednesday. “This is a day where you’re truly prepared to do every part of your job and risk everything to save everything.”
The strong winds are allowing fire embers to travel with the smoke over a range of two and a half miles, as more than 14,000 people remain under evacuation orders, the fire department said.
Firefighters have conducted intense rescues under dangerous conditions, pulling people from houses and rescuing others from streets engulfed in flames, officials said.
The Storm Prediction Center has issued an “extremely critical” level 3 of 3 risk for fire weather conditions in parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties in Southern California.
The Mountain Fire: Ventura County
- In Ventura County, 140 firefighters using 58 fire engines and trucks are working to contain the Mountain Fire on South Mountain, according to the Ventura County Fire Department.
- Two people were taken to the hospital due to smoke inhalation injuries, fire officials said at a news conference. Earlier in the day, the department said several people had been injured, but they could not yet specify the total number of injuries.
- Aerial video from CNN affiliate KABC shows mist-like smoke over a dense suburban neighborhood, sporadically dotted with houses burning from embers from the main fire. Some homes have burnt down to the studs with little left. In the background, a large plume of dark smoke looms over the mountainside neighborhood.
- The fire is moving at a “dangerous rate of spread,” burning agricultural fields and hedgerows in the area, Ventura County Fire Chief Dustin Gardner said at a news conference.
- The Mountain Fire is estimated at 10,480 acres with 0% containment as of Wednesday evening, according to Ventura County.
- Firefighters are conducting intense rescues on the ground while operating under smoke conditions and limited visibility that have made it unsafe for helicopters to operate, according to Johnson.
- “This is a day where you’re truly prepared to do every part of your job and risk everything to save everything,” Johnson said.
- Additional helicopters have been requested to assist, the department said.
- The fire is spreading, having crossed a highway, according to the fire department.
- Evacuation orders are in effect for nearby areas and shelters have been set up for those that need them, the sheriff’s office said.
- “Due to extreme wind conditions, fixed-wing aircraft are unable to assist in firefighting efforts,” VCFD posted. “Ground crews, helicopters and mutual aid resources are actively working to protect lives and property.”
- The NWS has evacuated its office in Oxnard, located just three miles from the wildfire. In the meantime, its office in San Diego will provide backup operations, according to the office.
The Broad Fire: Malibu
- A brush fire on Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu burned 50 acres before firefighters stopped its forward progress Wednesday.
- There were no reported injuries and at least two structures were caught in the fire, LACoFD said.
- According to the NWS in Los Angeles, conditions at the time of the fire showed North-Northwest wind gusts up to 51 mph and humidity at 11%.
A “critical” level 2 of 3 risk for fire weather conditions is in effect in Northern California and much of Southern California.
A rare “particularly dangerous situation” red flag warning, the most extreme form of fire weather warning, is also in effect for Southern California into Thursday.
Forecasters warned earlier this week this setup appears concerningly similar to those responsible for “some of the worst fires in Southern California history.”
The threat of fire starts is so severe that two of the state’s power providers cut off power to thousands of Californians to prevent electrical equipment from sparking them.
More than 11,000 Southern California Edison customers across five counties had power shut off Wednesday morning. Nearly 250,000 customers could be impacted by power shutoffs as conditions warrant, according to the utility’s website.
Thousands of PG&E customers were also affected by power shutoffs by Wednesday morning, according to the utility’s website. Shutoffs will continue through Thursday.
Power equipment can start fires, particularly when conditions are as extreme as forecast through Thursday. PG&E had to pay $45 million in a settlement for its equipment’s role in starting the Dixie Fire – California’s second largest in history – in 2011.
A gust of 85 mph was recorded by Wednesday morning on Magic Mountain with gusts over 70 mph in the nearby Transverse Ranges in Southern California, according to the weather service. Mount St. Helena in Northern California recorded a wind gust of 75 mph.
Winds are expected to ease Thursday for the state, but dry conditions and abundant dry fire fuels will remain. Wildfires will remain a significant concern for the state until the rainy season.
