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() – Firefighters are rescuing people from homes engulfed in flames as they battle a wildfire moving at a dangerously fast rate in a dense suburban neighborhood northwest of Los Angeles.
About 50 miles south of the Mountain Fire in Ventura County, another roadside wildfire in Malibu burned 50 acres before firefighters stopped its advance and contained it to 15%, according to the Ventura County Fire Department. Los Angeles.
At least two people were injured and several structures were damaged or destroyed by the Mountain Fire, which spread rapidly due to a combination of very dry air and powerful Santa Ana winds, prompting National Weather Service meteorologists to issue a series of alerts and warnings throughout the day.
It is unclear how many structures are affected as it is too dangerous for damage inspection teams to be on the ground, according to Ventura County fire officials.
“The hair on the back of the firefighters’ necks, I’m sure they stood up,” Ventura Fire Capt. Trevor Johnson said at a news conference while discussing one of Wednesday’s rescues. “This is a day when you are truly prepared to do all parts of your job and take risks to save everything.”
Strong winds are allowing embers from the fire to travel with smoke for a distance of 4 km, while more than 14,000 people remain under evacuation orders, according to the fire department.
Firefighters carried out intensive rescues under dangerous conditions, removing people from homes and recovering others from streets engulfed in flames, authorities said.
The Storm Prediction Center issued an “extremely critical” risk level 3 out of 3 for fire weather conditions in parts of Los Angeles and Ventura counties in Southern California.
- In Ventura County, 140 firefighters using 58 fire trucks are working to contain the mountain fire in South Mountain Park, according to the Ventura County Fire Department.
- Two people were taken to the hospital for injuries caused by smoke inhalation, authorities said at a news conference. Earlier in the day, the department reported that several people had been injured, but could not yet specify the total number of injured.
- Aerial video from affiliate KABC shows haze-like smoke over a dense suburban neighborhood, dotted sporadically with homes burned by embers from the main fire. Some houses were reduced to the foundations with little more than that. In the background, a large plume of dark smoke hangs over the mountainside neighborhood.
- The fire is moving at a “dangerous speed,” burning farm fields and hedgerows in the area, Ventura County Fire Chief Dustin Gardner said at a news conference.
- The Mountain Fire is estimated at 4.2 hectares with 0% containment as of Wednesday afternoon, according to Ventura County.
- Firefighters are conducting intensive field rescues while operating under smoky conditions and limited visibility, which has made helicopter flight unsafe, according to Johnson.
- “This is a day where you are really prepared to do all parts of your job and risk everything to save everything,” Johnson said.
- Additional helicopters were requested to assist, according to the department.
- The fire is spreading and crossed a road, according to the fire department.
- Evacuation orders are in effect for nearby areas and shelters have been established for those who need them, according to the sheriff’s office.
- “Due to extreme wind conditions, fixed-wing aircraft are unable to assist in firefighting efforts,” the VCFD posted. “Ground teams, helicopters and mutual aid resources are actively working to protect lives and property.”
- The NWS evacuated its office in Oxnard, located just almost 5 km from the wildfire. Meanwhile, its San Diego office will provide backup operations, according to the office.
- A wildfire on the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu burned 20 hectares before firefighters stopped its progress on Wednesday.
- No injuries were reported and at least two structures were hit by the fire, according to the LACoFD.
- According to the NWS in Los Angeles, conditions at the time of the fire showed north-northwest wind gusts of up to 82 km/h and humidity of 11%.
A Level 2 of 3 “critical” risk for fire weather conditions is in effect in northern 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 through Thursday.
Forecasters warned earlier this week that this configuration appears worryingly similar to those responsible for “some of the worst fires in California history.”
The threat of starting fires is so serious that two of the state’s energy providers cut off power to thousands of Californians to prevent electrical equipment from starting fires.
More than 11,000 Southern California Edison customers in five counties were without power Wednesday morning. Nearly 250,000 customers could be affected by power outages as conditions require, according to the utility’s website.
Thousands of PG&E customers were also affected by the power outages as of Wednesday morning, according to the utility’s website. The cuts will continue until this Thursday.
Electrical equipment can cause fires, especially 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 – the second largest in California history – in 2011.
A gust of 85 mph was recorded Wednesday morning at Magic Mountain with gusts exceeding 70 mph in the nearby Transverse Mountains in Southern California, according to the weather service. Mount St. Helena in Northern California recorded a wind gust of 120 km/h.
Winds are expected to ease this Thursday across the state, but dry conditions and abundant dry fire fuels will continue. Wildfires will continue to be a significant concern for the state into the rainy season.
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