Image from video by Trevor Quirk
Fire engines line up at the Ventura County Fairgrounds to help fight the wildfire, which has grown to more than 14,000 acres on Nov. 7 at 9:14 a.m.
Day 2 updates on the mountain fire, which has grown to 19,643.3 acres and remains at 0% containment as of 9:08 a.m. Nov. 7.
California has also secured federal aid to support the Mountain Fire response, according to a statement from Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Press conference at 10:00 a.m.:
The Ventura County Fire Department will provide a live stream update on the Mountain Fire today, November 7, at 10.00. To view, visit: https://vimeo.com/event/4709437
Evacuation Updates:
Several dozen homes have been lost as a result of the more than 19,643.3-acre vegetation fire, called the Mountain Fire, which started at 8:55 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 6, at Balcom Canyon and Bradley Street. The fire jumped off the 118 freeway and spread to Camarillo.
Fire officials are comparing the Mountain Fire to the Thomas and Woolsey fires and warned residents that the fire is moving dangerously fast, and residents should heed evacuation orders, as well as warnings.
Real-time updates:
12:09 p.m.: A new temporary evacuation center has opened at the Santa Paula Community Center at: 530 W Main Street.
11:46 a.m.: The fire has been reported at 19,643.3 hectares by CAL FIRE.
11:34 a.m.: The evacuation warning from Zone 8 is upgraded to an evacuation order. This area includes west of the Santa Paula Community Golf Course; north to the Santa Clara River; south to Somis.
10:37 a.m.: Road closure requested for Stockton Road between Waters and Balcom Canyon, with increased fire activity near Waters Road. Both ground and helicopter units are active in the area.
10:33 a.m.: New evacuation ordered for Zone 12: 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 quarry.
09:59: Incident Command has requested to extend evacuation orders for everything north of Stockton; and warnings all the way to Highway 23 and Grimes Canyon to the east.
09:46: A new evacuation ordered for Zone 11: Santa Clara River Valley: south of the Santa Clara River; north of South Mountain Ridge bottom at Rock Quarry; west of Grimes Canyon; east of San Cayetano Street.
9:05 a.m.: The Ventura Family YMCA is listed as a new shelter at 3670 Telegraph Road. The center will include rest areas, showers, charging stations and Wi-Fi.
Evacuations:
Five new evacuations have been ordered for the Santa Paula area on November 7:
- Zone 8: An area extending south of South Mountain Road; east of Briggs Road; and west of 12th Street and Bixby Road.
- Zone 9: Area east of Santa Paula Community Golf Course; north along the 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 Highway 126 along the Santa Clara River.
- Zone 11: Santa Clara River Valley: south of the Santa Clara River; north of South Mountain Ridge bottom at Rock Quarry; west of Grimes Canyon; 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 quarry.
Six other evacuation orders remain for:
- Zone 1: North of Somis: areas north of East Los Angeles Ave/Hwy 118, west of Balcom Canyon Rd and east of La Vista Ave.
- 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: Camarillo Heights area: 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: Area South of Santa Clara River: East of Los Angeles Ave, North of Saticoy Country Club and West of Briggs Road
- Zone 7: Area North of 101: South of Beardsley Ave, South of Central Avenue, and North of the 101 Freeway.
Shelter:
A new shelter has opened at the Ventura Family YMCA, which includes a rest area, shower, charging stations and Wi-Fi. Here are now:
- Padre Serra Parish at 5205 Upland Road, Camarillo.
- Ventura Family YMCA at 3670 Telegraph Road.
- Santa Paula Community Center at 530 W. Main Street
Shelters are available for pets at:
- Large Animals: Ventura County Fairgrounds at 10 E Harbor Blvd.
- Small animals: Ventura County Animal Shelter at Camarillo Airport at 600 Aviation Drive.
Updates on firefighting:
Air attack requested two Type 1 tankers to the incident to make drops and assess winds.
Resources continue structural defenses along South Mountain Road, and resources are positioned in Loftus Canyon, which is the next priority at 03:18
An additional copter was requested for Zone 10 which extends east of 12th Street to Willard Road, south of Highway 126 along the Santa Clara River.
Winds:
Ventura County Sheriff’s Emergency Services and the National Weather Service are monitoring a significant wind event in Santa Ana that is forecast to affect Ventura County through Friday, November 8
Northeast winds are expected to have sustained speeds from 30-55 mph and gusts as high as 100 mph in mountainous locations.
Low relative humidity with poor overnight recovery is expected, and a red flag warning has been issued through Thursday at 6:00 PM for all Ventura County areas.
Drive:
Suspensions are expected until November 7 at 21.00 and later depending on the conditions.
If conditions in any area exceed Edison’s Southern California safety thresholds, electricity may be temporarily shut off to minimize the risk of wildfire ignition.
Areas at risk of closure may change as conditions develop. Individuals who depend on electricity to power medical equipment are encouraged to plan ahead now and take steps to ensure your safety and well-being.
Customer resource centers for affected residents can be found at:
- Arroyo Vista Recreation Center: 4550 Tierra Rejada Road
- Simi Valley Senior Center: 3900 Avenida Simi
- Ventura Beach Marriott: 2055 Harbor Blvd.
Closing of the school:
California State University Channel Islands has canceled classes and closed campus operations for both Thursday, November 7 and Friday, November 8.
Ventura College, Oxnard College and Moorpark College have also announced closings for Thursday, November 7.
Press conference November 6:
Although an official number of homes lost was not provided at the news conference because damage inspection teams have not yet been deployed to the field, an accurate count will be given Thursday, Nov. 7, according to Ventura County Fire Department Public Information Officer Andy VanSciver.
VanSciver also confirmed that two civilians were hospitalized for smoke inhalation issues.
“Our priority is life safety, evacuation, getting people out of the way and property,” VCFD Division Chief Jeff Shea said at the conference. “The last variable is perimeter control, where we actually go directly and put the fire out.”
The fire remained at 0% containment at the time of the conference and had been detected over 2.5 miles ahead of itself.
An investigation into what caused the fire will come at a later date.
Photo by Debbie Johnson
At 7:00 p.m. on November 6, firefighters make aerial drops on the north side of South Mountain facing Santa Paula. This photo was taken from the 900 block of West Telegraph Road and shows the area on the south side of the Santa Clara River behind the 500 block of West Santa Maria Street.
Continuing Concerns:
While VCFD Capt. Trevor Johnson said he’s confident they can stop the fire’s southwest progress, the biggest concerns remain the Camarillo Heights area, Camarillo Estates, the Highway 101 corridor and Santa Paula.
Red Flag weather conditions will continue until sundown on Thursday, November 7, with VCFD Division Chief Shea estimating sustained winds between 20 and 50 mph and gusts between 60 and 80 mph to last until Thursday at 7 p.m. 18.00
Evacuations:
Ventura County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff said 14,000 people were notified by the Sheriff’s Office of evacuations and they used sirens and dispatched all available units to assist with evacuations.
He also offered thoughts and prayers, warned people to stay out of the area, spoke about Search and Rescue’s role in evacuations and reminded people to stay updated via: VCEmergency.com
Several rescues of residents were performed by firefighters on the ground, according to Capt. Trevor Johnson, which included pulling people from their homes and driving them in fire trucks to safety.
“It’s as intense as it gets,” Johnson said. “This is a day where you are really prepared to do every part of your job and risk everything and save everything.”
Fire Chief Dustin Gardner said the fire continues to “move at a dangerous rate” and that residents should follow all evacuation orders immediately.
Animal:
Chief Shea confirmed that the VCFD is working closely with Ventura County Animal Services to assist landowners and property owners in getting all animals and livestock to safety.
Precautions:
Shea also noted that SoCal Edison used its public safety power outage program to reduce fire risk. Areas affected include Thousand Oaks, Somis, Simi Valley, Santa Paula, Newbury Park, Piru and Camarillo, among others.
Additional hazards for firefighters include power lines, gas lines and the location of fire hydrants, but so far no firefighters have been injured in the mountain fire.
California American Water customers are being asked to voluntarily limit all non-essential water use and refrain from outdoor watering until further notice.
Thomas Fire comparisons:
When asked to compare the fire for context, Chief Shea brought up the Thomas Fire.
“As far as one that relates to this, in terms of community impact, would be in line with the Thomas Fire or the Woolsey Fire,” Shea said. “But every fire has an impact on the community we serve.”
Also present were: Rep. Julia Brownley; Rope. Jacqui Irwin; Supervisor Kelly Long; Supervisor Jeff Gorell; Supervisor Vianey Lopez; Camarillo Mayor Tony Trembly.
