A fast-moving brush fire in the Somis/Camarillo area of Ventura County has destroyed at least a dozen homes and, according to officials, charred at least 10,400 acres as of Wednesday afternoon.
The Mountain Fire was reported just before 9 a.m. near the 7900 block of Balcom Canyon Road and Bradley Road, north of the 118 Freeway. By 11 a.m., flames had crossed the 118 Freeway and were sweeping through homes in the Camarillo Heights neighborhood. Residents were ordered to evacuate, and many struggled to escape with not only their property but large animals, including horses.
The Ventura County Fire Department said at least 140 firefighters were battling the blaze, which was fueled by dry Santa Ana winds with little to no aerial support.
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A house is engulfed in the flames of the Mountain Fire as the wildfire scorches acres in Camarillo Heights, 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) -
KTLA 5 News reporter Sara Welch reports from Camarillo Heights as a home goes up in flames on live television. (KTLA) -
Sky5 aerial view of homes destroyed in the Mountain Fire in Ventura County, California on Nov. 6, 2024. (KTLA) -
A firefighter pulls a hose in front of a burnt house as the Mountain Fire scorches acres in Camarillo Heights, 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) -
Sky5 aerial view of homes destroyed in the Mountain Fire in Ventura County, California on Nov. 6, 2024. (KTLA) -
Sky5 aerial view of homes destroyed in the Mountain Fire in Ventura County, California on Nov. 6, 2024. (KTLA) -
Sky5 aerial view of a brush fire in Somis, California on Nov. 6, 2024. (KTLA) -
Sky5 aerial view of a brush fire in Somis, California on Nov. 6, 2024. (KTLA) -
Sky5 aerial view of a brush fire in Somis, California on Nov. 6, 2024. (KTLA) -
Sky5 aerial view of home ablaze from the Mountain Fire in Ventura County, California on Nov. 6, 2024. (KTLA) -
Residents evacuate horses from the path of the Mountain Fire in Ventura County, California on Nov. 6, 2024. (KTLA) -
Deputies rescue wheelchair-bound residents from a home surrounded by flames during the Mountain Fire in Ventura County, Oct. 30, 2024. (Key News Network) -
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Sky5 aerial view of homes destroyed in the Mountain Fire in Ventura County, California on Nov. 6, 2024. (KTLA)
There was no containment as of 4:30 p.m. The cause of the fire remained under investigation.
Ventura County authorities said “several individuals” were injured and transported to local hospitals.
Mandatory evacuations were ordered for the Somis and Camarillo areas. An evacuation center was established at Padre Serra Parish, 5205 Upland Ave., in Camarillo. Large animals could be brought to the Ventura County Fairgrounds at 10 E. Harbor Blvd. Smaller animals can be taken to Ventura County Animal Services at the Camarillo Airport, 600 Aviation Drive. For more information on evacuations, visit vcemergency.com or call 805-465-6650.
