A brush fire originating in Moorpark, California exploded into the over-10,000 acre Mountain Fire on Wednesday, prompting evacuations in affected areas and destroying properties in western Camarillo, California.
In a press conference on Nov. 6, Ventura County Fire Captain Trevor Johnson said crews were notified of a brush fire off state Route 118 near Balcom Canyon Road in Moorpark Wednesday morning. Johnson said the fire was well-established by the time crews arrived, fueled greatly by the Santa Ana wind event occurring in Southern California and dry brush.
โResources that arrived on scene initially were faced with a tough firefight,โ Johnson said. โFirefighters, right off the bat, engaged in pulling people out of their houses and saving lives.โ
Johnson said the fire is currently impacting areas north of state Route 118, south of Santa Paula, California. Fire Division Chief Jeff Shea said embers from the original burn spread to the Camarillo area, impacting foothill neighborhoods including Camarillo Heights.ย
Ventura County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff said the number of residents in the Camarillo Heights area is much more dense, leading firefighters to prioritize โlife safetyโ over saving property or containing the fire.
Shea said the combination of fuel, weather, and typography amplified the intensity of the fire.
โWe havenโt had a fire in there [Camarillo Heights] in I donโt know how long,โ Fryhoff said.
Johnson also said the fire has continued to move in a southwesterly direction.
According to VC Emergency, there are currently seven mandatory evacuation orders in effect, including areas north of Somis, California, Western Camarillo, areas north of U.S. Highway 101 near Central Avenue, and the area east of Santa Paula Community Golf Course.
There is currently an evacuation warning for an area south of South Mountain Road, east of Briggs Road in Santa Paula.
Fryhoff said people should heed evacuation notices and leave when under mandatory evacuation.
โWith these fires, theyโre very unpredictable. Theyโre very fast moving. As mentioned, these fires can spot up to two and a half miles away,โ Fryhoff said. โAny dry brush around somebodyโs home can cause it to catch hold, and by the time the fire has taken hold, you often donโt have time to get out.โ
According to the Ventura County Office of Education, local schools, including Moorpark Community College, have canceled classes on Thursday. ACE Charter High School in Camarillo, all locations in the Mesa Union School District, and all locations in the Santa Paula Unified School District have canceled classes on Friday as well.
In an email sent to students and staff on Wednesday, California Lutheran University Associate Vice President for Facilities Planning & Operations Ryan Van Ommeren said the universityโs Oxnard satellite campus would remain closed on Thursday, following an early closure Wednesday afternoon.
In a separate email reply sent to students and faculty, Van Ommeren said classes at the universityโs Thousand Oaks campus are not canceled, and will go on as planned.
Padre Serra Parish, a Catholic Church in eastern Camarillo is currently Ventura Countyโs evacuation center for those impacted by the Mountain Fire. According to the churchโs Instagram, the Red Cross and Ventura County Emergency Services are at the church helping evacuees with any necessities.
According to Watch Duty, an emergency updates app, as of 8:55 p.m., the Mountain Fire is currently estimated at 14,159 acres and is 0% contained.
This is a developing story and will be updated as new information becomes available.
