Live updates: At least 132 structures destroyed by Mountain Fire in Ventura County

ByABC7.com staff KABC logo
Last updated: Saturday, November 9, 2024 3:42PM GMT
ABC7 Eyewitness News

CAMARILLO, Calif. (KABC) -- Thousands of residents were forced to flee a fast-moving wildfire, called the Mountain Fire, as it consumed dozens of homes in several Ventura County communities.

The Mountain Fire stood at 20,638 acres as of Friday evening, with 14% containment, Cal Fire said. The blaze is now moving toward the communities of Santa Paula and Somis after destroying parts of Camarillo. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

The out-of-control brush fire broke out near the 7900 block of Balcom Canyon Road and Bradley Road at approximately 9:30 a.m. Wednesday. The fire department initially described the incident as a two-alarm fire that burned 250 acres, but it quickly exploded due to the strong Santa Ana winds and dry brush in the region.

Nov 08, 2024, 12:25 AM

Mountain Fire in Moorpark evacuations, road closures, evacuation shelter

Evacuation orders:

  • Zone 1 - North of Somis: areas north of East Los Angeles Avenue/Hwy 118, west of Balcom Canyon Road, and east of La Vista Avenue
  • Zone 2 - Saticoy Country Club: east of Los Angeles Ave/Hwy 118, and south of the Santa Clara River and north of Beardsley Road
  • Zone 3 - Areas south of Hwy 118, west of N. Lewis Road, north of North Loop Drive and Mission Drive, and east of Fairway Drive
  • Zone 4 - West Camarillo (Las Posas/Spanish Hills areas): north of Las Posas Road, south and east of Central Avenue and Beardsley Road, and west of Anacapa Drive
  • Zone 6 - The area extending south of Santa Clara River, east of Los Angeles Avenue, north of Saticoy County Club, and west of Briggs Road
  • Zone 8 - An area extending south of South Mountain Road, east of Briggs Road, and west of 12th Street and Bixby Road
  • Zone 9 - The area east of Santa Paula Community Golf Course, north along Santa Clara River, west of South Mountain Road at Sespe Street, south to Bixby Road
  • Zone 10 - An area extending east of 12th Street to Willard Road, south of HWY 126 along Santa Clara River
  • Zone 11 - South of the Santa Clara River, north of the ridge bottom of South Mountain at the rock quarry, west of Grimes Canyon Road, east of San Cayetano Street
  • Zone 12 - The area north of Los Angeles Avenue, west of Grimes Canyon Road, east of San Caytano Street, south of the ridge bottom of South Mountain at the rock quarry

  • Unincorporated Somis: West to Saticoy Country Club, east to Balcom Canyon Road, south to Highway 118.

Evacuation warnings:

  • Zone 7 - The area north of Hwy 101 and south and east of Beardsley Avenue, and south of Central Avenue

Road closures:

  • Northbound Lewis Road at Las Posas
  • Eastbound Highway 118 at Wells Road
  • Westbound Highway 118 at Tierra Rejada Road
  • Stockton Road between Waters and Balcom Canyon

Temporary evacuation shelter:
Padre Serra Parish
5205 Upland Road
Camarillo, CA 93012

Large animal evacuation center:
The Ventura County Fairgrounds are at full capacity and will not be able to take any more large animals that were evacuated.
If someone has a horse or livestock that needs to be evacuated, call Ventura County Animal Services main number at 805 388-4341 to get details on an alternate location to board them.

Small animal evacuation center:
Ventura County Animal Services (Camarillo Airport)
600 Aviation Drive
Camarillo, 93010

Fire information hotline:
805-465-6650

Sid Garcia Image
Nov 07, 2024, 9:01 PM GMT

CHP officer's family of 6 loses home; patrol SUV charred

CHP Officer Gregory Bowcock's family lost their home in the Mountain Fire. The family of six grabbed what they could and fled as the flames raced uphill toward their home.

CHP Officer Gregory Bowcock's family lost their home in the Mountain Fire. The family of six grabbed what they could and fled as the flames raced uphill toward their home.

Officer Bowcock's work SUV was completely charred, and his home was burned to the ground. Four generations of his family had lived in that house.

The family's church community helped them find an Airbnb to stay in temporarily.

Bowcock's son Mac helped make sure his siblings were safe.

"I was running around grabbing things that we need and im trying to get the kids safe because I don't want to lose them, because well, they're my brothers and sisters, so I don't want to lose them...I miss our house, but it's better that we still have our lives," Mac said.

Thursday is Officer Bowcock's birthday.

Jaysha Patel Image
Nov 07, 2024, 8:30 PM GMT

Childhood home now in ashes: 'I can't believe it's gone'

"I can't believe it's gone." Erika Bauer's childhood home in Camarillo was completely destroyed by the Mountain Fire. Her parents lived there since 1978. Now, their beloved house is reduced to ashes.

Erika Bauer walked through what was left of her childhood home Thursday morning. Her parents have lived in the Las Posas Estates community in Camarillo since 1978. The home held so many memories for her family

"I can't believe it's gone. I don't even know what to say right now. This is surreal. I know we live in a fire danger area but it came out of nowhere it was so fast," Bauer described.

The Mountain Fire turned their beloved home to ashes.

Bauer says her parents were at home when the flames came racing toward their property. Her mother was able to help her father, who is blind, evacuate safely before their home was engulfed in flames.

Nov 07, 2024, 7:24 PM GMT

Danger remains 'extremely high' as Mountain Fire continues to burn

While the dangerous and strong Santa Ana winds are expected to subside by 6 p.m. Thursday, the fight to contain the Mountain Fire in Ventura County continues to be perilous.

During a news conference Thursday, Ventura County Fire Capt. Trevor Johnson said fire crews are focusing on the northeast corner of the blaze. The flames are moving back to the east, or along the Highway 118 corridor, toward Moorpark again.

This will impact the area north of Somis and south of Santa Paula.

"It's rugged, steep ... only our finest firefighters can even access to work in there," Johnson said. "We've got aircraft working in there to pin it down. They're coming up with multiple options. We don't plan just for one option to work. So, we identify a primary alternate, a contingent operation in there."

With the strong winds, embers can travel up to 3 miles, creating large fire growth, Los Angeles County Department fire behavior analyst Drew Smith explained during the news conference. He said after two years of above average rainfall that led to robust grass growth, the grass is now dry, becoming fine fire fuel for dry and windy conditions.

"The fire danger remains extremely high," Ventura County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff said.

More than 14,000 evacuation notifications have been sent out in the evacuation zones. Fryhoff said officials don't have the exact number of people evacuated at this time.

It's unknown how many homes have been destroyed or damaged by the wildfire. Officials said 10 damage assessment teams are heading to the area to do a detailed accounting of the damage.

KABC logo
Nov 07, 2024, 5:42 PM GMT

AIR7 counts 83 Camarillo Heights homes destroyed

Dozens of homes have been destroyed by the massive Mountain Fire in Ventura County.

Scott Reiff in AIR7 surveyed the damage Thursday morning and counted 83 homes that were destroyed in the Camarillo Heights area. Almost all homes along Santa Cruz were destroyed by the flames.

Scott Reiff in AIR7 surveyed the damage Thursday morning and counted 83 homes that were destroyed in the Camarillo Heights area.