At least 14,000 people have been evacuated from their homes in California's Ventura County, as large fires are burning down neighborhoods at a rapid pace. Extreme weather conditions and winds of over 60 mph are contributing to worsening the situation, which forecasters have described as "particularly dangerous." They added that the behavior of the fire could lead to potential "life-threatening" scenarios.
Police and fire officials have been urging residents to leave immediately. Christina Noren, who lives in Camarillo Heights, told CNN that she was told to "get the hell out of there no" along with her husband who is in remission from thyroid cancer. They only managed to get their dog, laptops, some clothes, toothbrushes and her husband's medication, she detailed. At least two people have been taken to the hospital for possible smoke inhalation.
The region's main electric provider has decided to cut off power to some 70,000 customers for additional precaution, as the spread of past wildfires has been blamed on fallen power lines that remained with energy. The measure could impact 180,000 additional customers.
The fire erupted on Wednesday morning and has not been contained yet. There are at least 800 firefighters involved in the efforts, the Ventura County Fire Department said. The cause of the fire is still under investigation. The Santa Ana winds propelling the fires peaked on Wednesday morning, but forecasters still expect periods of strong and gusty winds throughout the day.
#mountainfire update; as of 10:30 pm the fire is currently at 14,187 acres, with at least 800 firefighters currently assigned to the incident. Firefighting operations continue through the night with both ground resources and night flying helicopters.
— VCFD PIO (@VCFD_PIO) November 7, 2024
Hundreds of mutual aid… pic.twitter.com/vT4Z56ibj0
Fox Weather reported that another dangerous fire, called the Broad Fire, is burning in the Malibu area, also threatening homes, businesses, and residents.
© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
