Several injured as brush fire explodes to more than 8,800 acres in Moorpark area: WATCH LIVE
MOORPARK, Calif. -- Hundreds of residents fled a wildfire in Ventura County of more than 8,800 acres on Wednesday as Southern California was lashed by powerful winds as forecasters warned of the potential for "extreme and life-threatening" blazes.
The rapidly expanding Mountain Fire prompted evacuation orders for multiple communities in an agricultural area near Moorpark and Santa Paula.
Gus Garcia, who owns a ranch south of the fire, said he's waiting to see whether conditions will change to decide if he should evacuate his horses and cattle. Around 12:30 p.m., his animals were still safe and he was trying to stay out of the way as others got their livestock out.
His ranch is surrounded by others with horses and alpaca, and Garcia said his neighbors in the canyon did not seem panicked. "The horse community, they prepare for this because it's always a possibility up here," he said.
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Andrew Dowd, a county fire spokesperson, said he did not have details of how many structures had been damaged. "There are a number of homes that have been impacted by fire," he said. "It's a rapidly moving fire."
Gov. Gavin Newsom's office, in a statement posted to the social platform X, said multiple state agencies are "all in close communication to coordinate and support needs in Ventura County."
The Mountain Fire was mapped at just under 250 acres around 9:15 a.m. Wednesday, and by 1:30 p.m. it was mapped at 8,885 acres.
The extreme wind conditions grounded fixed-wing aircraft because of "very dangerous" conditions caused by gusts topping 61 mph, said weather service meteorologist Bryan Lewis. He said pilots could face turbulence that could bring a plane down, as well limited visibility from the massive smoke plume.
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Several people were injured and taken to hospitals, the Ventura County Fire Department said. However, it was not immediately clear how they got hurt. The blaze crossed State Route 118 and spread to the Camarillo Heights neighborhood, prompting additional evacuations.
Details about evacuation zones and road closures were available at www.vcemergency.com. An information hotline was established at (805) 465-6650.
Meanwhile, the winds also fed a fast-moving wildfire near multimillion-dollar properties along Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu. Los Angeles County Fire Department crews scrambled to contain the wildfire near Malibu's Broad Beach as authorities shut down the famous seaside roadway. Residents were urged to shelter in place while aircraft dropped water on the 50-acre Broad Fire. It was 15% contained around 12:30 p.m. with forward progress stopped. Fire officials said two structures burned.
Tens of thousands of people had their power shut off across the state as a precaution.
The National Weather Service office for Los Angeles amended its red flag warning for increased fire danger with a rare "particularly dangerous situation" label.
With predicted gusts between 50 miles and 100 mph and humidity levels as low as 8%, parts of Southern California could experience conditions ripe for "extreme and life-threatening" fire behavior into Thursday, the weather service said.
Officials in several counties urged residents to be on watch for fast-spreading blazes, power outages and downed trees amid the latest round of notorious Santa Ana winds.
A map of fires in California right now:
Our interactive map below is tracking where fires are burning across California and what percentage they're contained. Click on any fire icon to see more details about the wildfire in that area.
"Those in canyon, mountain, and foothill communities should be ready to evacuate at a moment's notice," the LA County Office of Emergency Management said on X. Some canyon roads were closed as a precaution and fire departments positioned resources in areas prone to fires.
In Orange County, fire officials said ash and debris were being kicked up from the Airport Fire, which tore through the area earlier this year due to high winds, but no active fires were reported there Wednesday. Gusts whipped through coastal cities, bringing down tree branches and toppling large trash bins.
Southern California Edison also preemptively shut off power for more than 46,000 customers, including more than 12,000 in Los Angeles County on Wednesday. Power shutoffs are being considered for more than 200,000 customers due to the risk, the company said on its website.
Utilities in California began powering down equipment during high winds and extreme fire danger after a series of massive and deadly wildfires in recent years were sparked by electrical lines and other infrastructure.
The Broad Fire was burning in the same area where in 2018 the Woolsey Fire killed three people and destroyed 1,600 homes. That blaze was sparked by Edison equipment that scorched dry grasslands and burned across the Santa Monica Mountains all the way to the Malibu coast.
