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Mountain Fire (2024)

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Coordinates: 34°19′05″N 118°58′05″W / 34.318°N 118.968°W / 34.318; -118.968
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Mountain Fire
Refer to caption
GOES-18 loop of the fire on November 6th
Date(s)
  • November 6 (6-11) –
  • November 27, 2024 (2024-11-27)
  • (22 days)
Location
Coordinates34°19′05″N 118°58′05″W / 34.318°N 118.968°W / 34.318; -118.968[1]
Statistics
Burned area19,904 acres (8,055 ha; 31 sq mi; 81 km2)
Impacts
Non-fatal injuries10 (≥6 civilians, ≥1 firefighter)
Structures destroyed243 destroyed, 127 damaged
Ignition
CauseUnder investigation
Map
Refer to caption
The footprint of the Mountain Fire

The Mountain Fire was a destructive and fast-moving wildfire in Ventura County, Southern California, in November of 2024. The fire burned 19,904 acres (8,055 hectares), destroyed and damaged hundreds of buildings, and caused multiple injuries.

Background

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The Mountain Fire began shortly before 9:00 a.m. PST on November 6 during an episode of strong Santa Ana winds in Southern California.[2] The National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center delineated an "extremely critical" risk area on their Day 1 fire weather outlook, warning of low relative humidity values combined with a strong wind event with gusts of over 65 miles per hour (105 km/h).[3] The National Weather Service office in Los Angeles issued a 'particularly dangerous situation' red flag warning for November 6-7 in the area;[4] it was the first such issuance in the Los Angeles area since 2020. The Los Angeles Times called it "the most extreme Santa Ana wind event to hit Southern California in years".[5]

Progression

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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] in a remote area north of the community of Somis.[5] 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][7]

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]

Evacuation orders were issued for parts of Ventura County.[9] By November 7, CNN reported that 14,000 residents of Ventura County had received evacuation notices.[10]

On November 27, three weeks after it first began, the Mountain Fire reached 100 percent containment.[11]

Effects

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At least ten people were injured—including at least one firefighter and six civilians—and two of those people were hospitalized. Some of the injuries were due to smoke inhalation.[6]

The fire destroyed 243 structures and damaged another 127.[12] Of those, at least 83 were homes in Camarillo Heights.[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]

Many schools in Ventura County were closed on Thursday, November 7, due to the fire.[5]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Mountain Fire". California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  2. ^ Goldberg, Noah; Toohey, Grace; Harter, Clara (November 6, 2024). "Ventura County fire explodes, trapping residents, causing injuries and threatening homes". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  3. ^ "Storm Prediction Center Day 1 Fire Weather Forecast (Print Version)". www.spc.noaa.gov. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  4. ^ "All areas in PDS Red Flag warning will now have PDS going until 9 AM tomorrow/Thursday morning". iastate.edu. National Weather Service Los Angeles–Oxnard. November 6, 2024. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c Winton, Richard; Solis, Nathan; Haggerty, Noah; Toohey, Grace; harter, Clara; Goldberg, Noah (November 9, 2024). "Mountain fire's stunning toll: 132 structures destroyed, 88 damaged". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
  6. ^ a b c Fioresi, Dean (November 6, 2024). "Mountain Fire in Moorpark fueled by strong winds amid Red Flag warnings in California". CBS News. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  7. ^ Sarnoff, Leah; Hoffman, Riley; Hutchinson, Bill. "Wind-whipped California brush fire remains out of control and spreading 'dangerously fast'". ABC News. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
  8. ^ Sternfeld, Marc (November 6, 2024). "Homes go up in flames during KTLA reporter's live shot". KTLA. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  9. ^ Jiménez, Jesus (November 6, 2024). "Brush Fires in Southern California Prompt Evacuations and Power Outages". The New York Times. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  10. ^ Andone, Dakin (November 7, 2024). "Authorities have made more than 14,000 evacuation notifications, sheriff says". CNN. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
  11. ^ "Mountain Fire: Incident Update on 11/27/2024 at 10:13 PM | CAL FIRE".
  12. ^ "Mountain Fire". www.fire.ca.gov. California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). Retrieved December 9, 2024.
  13. ^ "AIR7 counts 83 Camarillo Heights homes destroyed". KABC-TV. November 7, 2024. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
  14. ^ Carlson, Cheri (November 9, 2024). "Mountain Fire takes toll on Ventura County's agriculture industry. Here's what to know". Ventura County Star. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
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