California’s brutal year continues as Ventura fire forces thousands to flee
VENTURA, Calif. — Ferocious fires tore through Southern California on Tuesday, burning massive stretches of land in a matter of hours and forcing tens of thousands of people from their homes.
As firefighters in Ventura County grappled with an explosive blaze northwest of downtown Los Angeles, others across the region confronted additional fires that burned during the day and forced more evacuations.
Authorities issued ominous warnings of more dangers to come during a “multiday event” across the area, as weather forecasters said the region faces “extreme fire danger” through Thursday due to intense Santa Ana winds and low humidity that could cause the fires to grow rapidly.
The wildfires are the latest grim chapter in a brutal year for California, coming just months after deadly blazes in the state’s wine country killed dozens of people and razed thousands of buildings.
The biggest fire Tuesday was in Ventura County, where a small blaze quickly went out of control and spread across more than 50,000 acres by the afternoon. The fire — which burned an area nearly as large as Seattle — stretched into the city of Ventura, home to over 100,000.
“The prospects for containment are not good,” Ventura County Fire Chief Mark Lorenzen said as the fire was beginning its aggressive expansion. “Really, Mother Nature’s going to decide when we have the ability to put it out.”
As the flames continued to spread, the sun rose over Ventura and revealed the damage left behind by what is named the Thomas Fire. Homes were destroyed, and the charred remains of cars sat among heaps of ash. The impact hit home for many of those responding to the blaze: One local fire official told a reporter that he had to call his daughter to tell her that her apartment had burned.
California Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in Ventura County, calling the fire “very dangerous” as it spread rapidly. “We’ll continue to attack it with all we’ve got,” Brown said. “It’s critical residents stay ready and evacuate immediately if told to do so.”
What caused the fire remained unknown, Lorenzen said, and the blaze’s final effects also were unclear. Authorities said at least 150 structures in Ventura County were destroyed by Tuesday afternoon, but Lorenzen said that number could increase because firefighters were not yet able to assess the damage in most affected areas.
Lorenzen said 27,000 people were evacuated and that “almost none of them know the status of their homes.”