Mountain Fire | |
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Date(s) |
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Location |
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Coordinates | 34°19′05″N118°58′05″W / 34.318°N 118.968°W [1] |
Statistics | |
Burned area | 19,904 acres (8,055 ha; 31 sq mi; 81 km2) |
Impacts | |
Non-fatal injuries | 10 (≥6 civilians, ≥1 firefighter) |
Structures destroyed | 243 destroyed, 127 damaged |
Ignition | |
Cause | Under investigation |
Map | |
The footprint of the Mountain Fire |
The Mountain Fire was a destructive and fast-moving wildfire in Ventura County, Southern California, in November of 2024. The fire burned 19,904 acres (8,055 hectares), destroyed and damaged hundreds of buildings, and caused multiple injuries.
The Mountain Fire began shortly before 9:00 a.m. PST on November 6 during an episode of strong Santa Ana winds in Southern California. [2] The National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center delineated an "extremely critical" risk area on their Day 1 fire weather outlook, warning of low relative humidity values combined with a strong wind event with gusts of over 65 miles per hour (105 km/h). [3] The National Weather Service office in Los Angeles issued a 'particularly dangerous situation' red flag warning for November 6-7 in the area; [4] it was the first such issuance in the Los Angeles area since 2020. The Los Angeles Times called it "the most extreme Santa Ana wind event to hit Southern California in years". [5]
The fire was first reported at 8:50 a.m. PST "near the 7900 block of Balcom Canyon Road and Bradley Road", according to CBS News and the Ventura County Fire Department, [6] in a remote area north of the community of Somis. [5] The fire grew to approximately 1,000 acres (400 ha) in the hour after its ignition. At approximately 11:00 a.m., the fire crossed State Route 118 and began to impinge on the Camarillo Heights neighborhood. [6] [7]
KTLA reporter Sara Welch reported that "winds are so fierce that they can’t get any fixed-wing aircraft up there to drop any water". [8]
Evacuation orders were issued for parts of Ventura County. [9] By November 7, CNN reported that 14,000 residents of Ventura County had received evacuation notices. [10]
On November 27, three weeks after it first began, the Mountain Fire reached 100 percent containment. [11]
At least ten people were injured—including at least one firefighter and six civilians—and two of those people were hospitalized. Some of the injuries were due to smoke inhalation. [6]
The fire destroyed 243 structures and damaged another 127. [12] Of those, at least 83 were homes in Camarillo Heights. [13] Approximately 12,000 acres (4,900 ha) of farmland were impacted by the fire. Besides the homes, outbuildings, fences, irrigation lines, and other farming equipment, the fire damaged or destroyed avocado, citrus and berry crops. [14]
Many schools in Ventura County were closed on Thursday, November 7, due to the fire. [5]
The Sesnon Fire was a wildfire that broke out near the oil fields of Oat Mountain, north of Porter Ranch, California, on Monday October 13, 2008. The cause of this fire was a power line falling onto dry brush near a drainage area. A state of emergency was declared by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on October 13 in Los Angeles and Ventura Counties. The fire burned more than 22 square miles (57 km2) and cost US$7.9 million to fight. This fire occurred concurrently two others, one in San Diego County and another at the eastern end of the San Fernando Valley. One person lost their life due to the low visibility on highways because of the smoke from the fire.
The Conejo Grade is a 7% grade incline on a section of US 101. Also known as the Camarillo Grade, it links Thousand Oaks and cities of the Conejo Valley, with Camarillo and the cities on the Oxnard Plain. With a summit elevation of 841.1 feet (256.4 m), California Highway Patrol inspection stations for trucks are situated on both sides of the highway at the upper terminus of the grade.
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The May 2014 San Diego County wildfires were a swarm of 20 wildfires that erupted during May 2014, in San Diego County, California, during severe Santa Ana Wind conditions, historic drought conditions, and a heat wave. The main event during mid-May was preceded by a precursor fire that ignited on May 5. The Bernardo Fire has been declared accidental, and officials believe the Cocos Fire was intentionally set. The causes of the other fires are still under investigation by multiple agencies, and a joint task force was formed to coordinate the investigations and facilitate communications. Six injuries and one fire-related fatality were reported.
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