Winds cause explosive fire growth in Ventura County
Flames from a wildfire loom up over a neighborhood in Santa Paula, Calf., Monday, Dec. 4, 2017. Ventura County fire officials say the blaze broke out Monday east of Santa Paula, a city of 30,000 people about 60 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Powerful winds are pushing the blaze west toward the city along Highway 150, which is shut down. (Megan Diskin/The Ventura County Star via AP)
SANTA PAULA, Calif. (AP) — Ferocious winds in Southern California whipped up an explosive wildfire that prompted evacuation orders for nearly 8,000 homes, authorities said.
The blaze broke out Monday and grew wildly to more than 40 square miles (103 sq. kilometers) in the hours that followed, consuming vegetation that hasn’t burned in decades, Ventura County Fire Sgt. Eric Buschow said.
The winds were pushing it toward Santa Paula, a city of some 30,000 people about 60 miles (97 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles. Many of the evacuated homes were in that city.
However, evacuation orders were expanded to houses in Ventura, which is 12 miles (19 kilometers) southwest and has 106,000 residents.
“The fire growth is just absolutely exponential,” Ventura County Fire Chief Mark Lorenzen said. “All that firefighters can do when we have winds like this is get out ahead, evacuate people, and protect structures.”
Thomas Aquinas College, a school with about 350 students, has also been evacuated, with students going to their own homes or to those of faculty and staff, the college said in a statement.
One person was killed in an auto accident associated with the fire, officials said. They gave no further details.
At least two structures have burned so far, sheriff’s officials said.
California Fire Forces Thousands to Evacuate
Thousands of homes have been evacuated after a wind-whipped wildfire exploded overnight in Southern California. The fire has burned through at least 40 square miles northwest of Los Angeles.
Winds exceeding 40 mph and gusts over 60 mph have been reported in the area and are expected to continue, the National Weather Service said.
Firefighters from neighboring Los Angeles and Santa Barbara counties were pouring in to help.
Nearly 180,000 customers in the Ventura county area were without power, Southern California Edison said on Twitter.
All schools in the Ventura Unified School District will be closed on Tuesday.
All contents © copyright 2017 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
