Mountain Fire community meeting filled with questions, tears and hope: 'We're lucky to be alive'

CAMARILLO, Calif. (KABC) -- As crews increased containment of the Mountain Fire to 36%, residents who lost their homes are still trying to figure out what's next.

Fire officials hosted a community meeting Sunday to answer any questions and among the packed crowd was some tears and frustration.

"We lost everything, but we're alive, you know? We're just lucky to be alive," said Candice Strickland, who lost her Camarillo Heights home.

She claims the fire spread to her home so quickly, she didn't get an evacuation alert.

"We had no warning at all. If I wouldn't have made it, I mean, I would have been trapped."

Strickland said a good Samaritan paid for her gas so she could attend Sunday's meeting. A GoFundMe has been created to help her and her family.

Overall, most people told ABC7 they got the answers they were looking for. However, Strickland is still seeking shelter.

"We have nowhere to stay. We don't know where we're staying tonight," she said.

The American Red Cross has established four pop-up sites in the area to help residents who lost everything, including help applying to government agencies for assistance.

"They're fixed sites where people can go and talk to our volunteers, get some supplies," said Lori Wilson with the American Red Cross. "We can also figure out what additional needs they may have so that when we start doing our disaster response and recovery we can also reach out to them as well."

Fire officials describe harrowing Mountain Fire conditions

Fire authorities on Sunday described battling fierce, howling winds and rescuing people during the explosive fire.

The fire's size remains around 32 square miles. Hundreds of firefighters are still working to get the fire under control, but as of Monday most of the active flames are burning through agricultural fields and are not threatening homes.

"I am grateful for the number of lives that were saved and the fact that we have zero reported fatalities," said an emotional Ventura County Fire Chief Dustin Gardner at the community meeting.

"I know we suffered great damage, but thousands of homes were saved and hundreds of lives were rescued. I know we made mistakes, but we will learn from those mistakes," he said.

Ventura County public safety officials said they prepared for dry, warm and gusty northeast Santa Ana winds. But the fire that broke out Wednesday morning exploded in size with winds gusting at 80 mph and embers that flew from orchards 2-1/2 miles away to residential neighborhoods around the community of Camarillo.

The fire destroyed more than 100 homes.

The cause of the fire is under investigation as inspection teams continue to assess damage.

Another community meeting will be held Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at Rancho Campana High School.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.