Mountain Fire pushes north after burning more than 100 homes
The Mountain Fire burning in Ventura County continued a northward push overnight after destroying more than 100 homes and burning over 20,000 acres. Crews battling the blaze from the ground and air on Friday will no longer have to deal with powerful Santa Ana winds driving the fire but the news isn't all good. The [...]
The Mountain Fire burning in Ventura County continued a northward push overnight after destroying more than 100 homes and burning over 20,000 acres.
Crews battling the blaze from the ground and air on Friday will no longer have to deal with powerful Santa Ana winds driving the fire but the news isn't all good.
The ending Santa Ana wind event "will bring concerns for further fire growth to the north and east due to the return to onshore flow," Cal Fire stated in its incident update Thursday night.
As of that update, the fire had burned 20,485 Acres and was just 5% contained.
Damage inspection crews announced on Thursday that 132 homes had been destroyed in the fire.
Among those was a mid-century home that had belonged to the Wallace family for more than 60 years.
An old photo of the the Wallace's home in Ventura County before it was destroyed in the Mountain Fire on Nov. 6, 2024. (viewer photo) 
A photo of the Wallace's tricked out classic Volvo destroyed in the Mountain Fire in Ventura County on Nov. 6, 2024. (viewer photo) 
The Mountain Fire burns along S Mountain Road in Santa Paula, Thursday, November 7, 2024. (Hans Gutknecht/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images) 
Marvin Meador sifts through his fire-ravaged property after the Mountain Fire swept through, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024, in Camarillo, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) 
Marvin Meador walks on the remains of his fire-ravaged property after the Mountain Fire swept through, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024, in Camarillo, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) 
Tiffany Hobelman leads a horse named Koshan from an enclosure at Swanhill Farms as the Mountain Fire burns in Moorpark, Calif., on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) 
Flames from the Mountain Fire leap along a hillside as horses gallop in an enclosure at Swanhill Farms in Moorpark, Calif., on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) 
Destroyed homes sit among smoldering hills in the Mountain fire, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in Camarillo, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) 
Firefighters and sheriff's deputies push a vintage car away from a burning home as the Mountain Fire burns in Camarillo, Calif., on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) 
A helicopter drops water over a burning home in the Mountain fire, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, near Camarillo, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) 
A home burns in the Mountain fire, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, near Camarillo, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) 
A fire burns a house in the Mountain fire, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in Camarillo, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) 
A firefighter attempts to control the blaze burning a structure as the Santa Ana wind-fed Mountain fire scorches acres, in Camarillo, California, on Nov. 6, 2024. (ETIENNE LAURENT/AFP via Getty Images)
“Yesterday, we watched for three hours as it burned,” Tara Wallace, who lives in Camarillo Heights with her husband Brian Wallace, told KTLA. “It was a beautiful home with a beautiful view of a beautiful city and now it is ash.”
The number of homes destroyed is expected to increase as inspection crews continue their work Friday.
Evacuation orders remain in place for more than 10,000 residents. A full list of evacuation orders and zones can be found on vcemergency.com.
An evacuation center has been opened at Padre Serra Parish on 5205 Upland Rd. in Camarillo.
On Thursday, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a State of Emergency due to the Mountain Fire and announced that FEMA approved a grant to support the firefight.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
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