This article is about a current wildfire where information can change quickly or be unreliable. The latest page updates may not reflect the most up-to-date information. This wildfire is still actively burning, so residents should refer to local authorities for up-to-date information. |
Mountain Fire | |
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Date(s) | November 6, 2024 {{enddate|2024|11|23 |
Location |
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Coordinates | 34°19′05″N118°58′05″W / 34.318°N 118.968°W [1] |
Statistics | |
Perimeter | contained |
Burned area | 20,708 acres (8,380 ha; 32 sq mi; 84 km2) |
Impacts | |
Non-fatal injuries | 6 (5 civilians, 1 firefighter) |
Structures destroyed | 243 destroyed, 127 damaged |
Ignition | |
Cause | Under investigation |
Map | |
The footprint of the Mountain Fire |
The Mountain Fire is an active wildfire burning in Ventura County, Southern California. The fire has burned 20,630 acres (8,350 hectares) and caused multiple injuries. 3,888 structures are still threatened by the blaze. [2]
The Mountain Fire began a little before 9am PST amid an episode of strong Santa Ana winds in Southern California. [3] The SPC outlined an "extremely critical" area on the Day 1 fire weather outlook, warning of very low relative humidity values below 20%, combined with an unusually strong Santa Ana wind event with many gusts over 65 mph. [4] A particularly dangerous situation red flag warning was issued for November 6-7 in the area. [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] 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] As of November 23,2024 [update] , the fire has burned 20,708 acres (8,380 ha) and is ninety-three percent contained. [7]
On November 6, 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]
By November 7, CNN reported that 14,000 residents of Ventura County had received evacuation notices. [9]
A total of 243 structures were reported destroyed, and 127 were damaged. [10] Of those, at least 83 were homes in Camarillo Heights. [11]
Multiple people have been injured in the fire [6] and 243 structures have been destroyed. [12] Evacuation orders were issued for parts of Ventura County. [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]
The Springs Fire was a wildfire in Ventura County, California in May 2013. Although the fire burned only 15 homes, it threatened 4,000. This threat passed when rain shower from few narrow cold-frontal rainbands moved through the California area because of a low-pressure system off the coast. Some places got more than half an inch of rain.
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.
The Sand Fire was a wildfire in 2016 that burned in the Angeles National Forest, east of the Santa Clarita Valley in Los Angeles County, California. The fire, named for the area's Sand Canyon, was fueled by heavy chaparral and brush.
The Blue Cut Fire was a wildfire in the Cajon Pass, northeastern San Gabriel Mountains, and Mojave Desert in San Bernardino County, California. The fire, which began on the Blue Cut hiking trail in the San Bernardino National Forest, was first reported on August 16, 2016 at 10:36 a.m., just west of Interstate 15. A red flag warning was in effect in the area of the fire, with temperatures near 100 °F (38 °C) and winds gusting up to 30 miles per hour (48 km/h).
The Canyon Fire 2, also known as the Canyon 2 Fire, was a wildfire that burned in the Anaheim Hills area of the city of Anaheim in Orange County, California. The fast-moving brush fire broke out on October 9, 2017, around 9:45 A.M. PDT near the 91 Freeway and Gypsum Canyon Road. It leaped over the Route 241 toll road, raced up a ridge, and set fire to several homes. In total, about 16,570 were ordered to evacuate their homes in Anaheim, Orange, and Tustin but returned when the evacuation order was lifted on October 12.
The Thomas Fire was a massive wildfire that affected Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties, and one of multiple wildfires that ignited in southern California in December 2017. It burned approximately 281,893 acres before being fully contained on January 12, 2018, making it the largest wildfire in modern California history at the time. It was surpassed by the Ranch Fire, part of the Mendocino Complex, in August 2018. The fire is currently the eighth-largest wildfire in modern California history, as of 2024. The fire was officially declared out on June 1, 2018, after more than two months in which no hotspots were detected. The Thomas Fire destroyed at least 1,063 structures, while damaging 280 others; and the fire caused over $2.2 billion in damages, including $230 million in suppression costs, becoming the seventh-most destructive wildfire in state history at the time. As of August 2020, the Thomas Fire is California's tenth-most destructive wildfire. Ventura's agriculture industry suffered at least $171 million in losses due to the Thomas Fire.
The Creek Fire was a large wildfire that burned in Kagel Canyon and the Angeles National Forest north of Sylmar, a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, United States, and one of multiple wildfires that broke out across Southern California in December 2017. The Creek Fire burned 15,619 acres (63 km2) and destroyed 123 structures, including 60 homes, before being contained on January 9, 2018, following heavy rainfall from a winter storm. The fire threatened the communities of Santa Clarita, Glendale, Olive View, Lake View Terrace, Sunland-Tujunga, Shadow Hills, Sylmar, Pacoima, Lopez Canyon, and Kagel Canyon, as well as the Olive View–UCLA Medical Center. During the wildfire, 115,000 residents were forced to evacuate their homes.
A series of 29 wildfires ignited across Southern California in December 2017. Six of the fires became significant wildfires, and led to widespread evacuations and property losses. The wildfires burned over 307,900 acres (1,246 km2), and caused traffic disruptions, school closures, hazardous air conditions, and power outages; over 230,000 people were forced to evacuate. The largest of the wildfires was the Thomas Fire, which grew to 281,893 acres (1,140.78 km2), and became the largest wildfire in modern California history, until it was surpassed by the Ranch Fire in the Mendocino Complex, in the following year.
The Lilac Fire was a fire that burned in northern San Diego County, California, United States, and the second-costliest one of multiple wildfires that erupted in Southern California in December 2017. The fire was first reported on December 7, 2017, burned 4,100 acres (1,659 ha), and destroyed 157 structures, before it was fully contained on December 16. The fire cost at least $8.9 million, including $5 million in firefighting expenses and property damage, and an additional $3.9 million in cleanup and erosion control costs. The fire threatened the communities of Bonsall, Oceanside, Vista, Fallbrook, and Camp Pendleton. During the fire, an estimated 10,000 residents were forced to evacuate, while a total of over 100,000 residents were forced to or advised to evacuate. On December 7, the Lilac Fire also cut the power to 20,000 people.
A series of mudflows occurred in Southern California in early January 2018, particularly affecting areas northwest of Montecito in Santa Barbara County. The incident was responsible for 23 deaths, although the body of one of the victims has never been found. Approximately 163 people were hospitalized with various injuries, including four in critical condition. The disaster occurred one month after a series of major wildfires. The conflagrations devastated steep slopes, which caused loss of vegetation and destabilization of the soil and greatly facilitated subsequent mudflows. The mudflows caused at least $177 million in property damage, and cost at least $7 million in emergency responses and another $43 million to clean up.
The Woolsey Fire was a wildfire that started in Los Angeles County and spread north to neighboring Ventura County, both located in the U.S. state of California. The fire ignited on November 8, 2018 and wasn't fully contained until November 21, 2018. The fire burned 96,949 acres of land, destroyed 1,643 structures, killed three people, and prompted the evacuation of more than 295,000 people. It was one of several fires in California that ignited on the same day, along with the nearby Hill Fire and the destructive Camp Fire in Northern California.
The Maria Fire was a wildfire that burned the south of the community of Santa Paula in the area of Somis, California on the top of South Mountain in Ventura County. The fire ignited in the evening hours of Thursday, October 31, 2019 and consumed well over 4,000 acres (16 km2) within its first several hours of burning. Despite the aggressive initial attack by first responders, the fire exploded rapidly due to a strong Santa Ana wind event that was occurring in the area during its ignition.
The Easy Fire was a wildfire that burned in Simi Valley, Ventura County, California. The fire burned 1,806 acres (731 ha) in October 2019.
The North Complex Fire was a massive wildfire complex that burned in the Plumas National Forest in Northern California in the counties of Plumas and Butte. Twenty-one fires were started by lightning on August 17, 2020; by September 5, all the individual fires had been put out with the exception of the Claremont and Bear Fires, which merged on that date, and the Sheep Fire, which was then designated a separate incident. On September 8, strong winds caused the Bear/Claremont Fire to explode in size, rapidly spreading to the southwest. On September 8, 2020, the towns of Berry Creek and Feather Falls were immediately evacuated at 3:15 p.m. PDT with no prior warning. By September 9, 2020, the towns of Berry Creek and Feather Falls had been leveled, with few homes left standing. The fire threatened the city of Oroville, before its westward spread was stopped. The fire killed 16 people and injured more than 100. The complex burned an estimated 318,935 acres (129,068 ha), and was 100% contained on December 3. The fire was managed by the U.S. Forest Service in conjunction with Cal Fire, with the primary incident base in Quincy. The North Complex Fire is the eighth-largest in California's history, and was the deadliest fire in the 2020 California wildfire season.
The Bobcat Fire was a large wildfire in Los Angeles County and one of the major incidents of the 2020 California wildfire season. The fire ignited on September 6, 2020, and burned 115,997 acres (46,942 ha) before it was fully contained by November 27. The Bobcat Fire primarily burned in the central San Gabriel Mountains, in and around the Angeles National Forest, and is one of the largest fires on record in Los Angeles County to date.
The Silverado Fire was a wildfire that burned in October and November 2020 in southern Orange County, California northeast of Irvine. The fire started on October 26 around 6:47 AM near Orange County Route S-18 and Silverado Canyon Road, fueled by strong Santa Ana winds gusting up to 80 miles per hour (130 km/h) and low humidity. Orange County Fire Authority Chief Brian Fennessy stated, "The winds were extraordinary even by Santa Ana standards. Fire spread is exceeding more than anything I've seen in my 44 years." The fire initially moved south from Loma Ridge toward the Orchard Hills, Northwood and Portola Springs communities of Irvine before moving southeast through Limestone Canyon and toward the communities of Foothill Ranch and Lake Forest. The fire burned in a path similar to that taken by the 2007 Santiago Fire, mostly through terrain that had not seen significant burning in the 13 years since that fire. 100% containment was announced on November 7, 2020.
The French Fire was a wildfire that burned 26,535 acres (10,738 ha) near Shirley Meadows west of Lake Isabella in Kern County, California in the United States during the 2021 California wildfire season. The fire was initially reported on Wednesday, August 18, 2021, and ended around October 24, 2021. The fire threatened the communities of Shirley Meadows, Alta Sierra and Wofford Heights. The fire reportedly destroyed some 18 structures, including 9 residences. The fire was determined, as of September 13, 2021, to have been human-caused and suspicious in nature.
The Fawn Fire was a destructive wildfire in Northern California's Shasta County, near Redding, in late September and early October 2021. The fire, which was caused by an alleged act of arson, ignited on September 22 in mountains to the northeast of Redding. High winds the following day drove the fire south and west into neighborhoods in the wildland-urban interface, where it destroyed 185 buildings and damaged 26 more. At least three firefighters were injured. The Fawn Fire cost more than $25 million to suppress and burned 8,578 acres before being fully contained on October 2. A woman was arrested the day of the Fawn Fire's ignition and charged with starting the fire. As of 2024, legal proceedings remained ongoing.
The Nixon Fire was a sizable wildfire that burned in Riverside county in Southern California. It ignited on July 29, 2024, in the census-designated place of Aguanga in Riverside County. As of August 7, 2024, it has burned 5,222 acres and is 100 percent contained.
The Bridge Fire was a destructive wildfire in the Angeles National Forest, that burned in Southern California's Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. The fire began on September 8. As of November 9, 2024, the fire burned 56,030 acres and is 99 percent contained. The cause of the fire is under investigation. It is the third-largest wildfire of California's 2024 fire season The fire threatened the area of Jackson Lake, with mandatory evacuation orders in place. As of November 9, the fire has affected at least 100 structures total.