Evacuations were ordered at the California State University Channel Islands campus Thursday morning after a wildfire broke out in the Camarillo area of Ventura County.
Firefighters and water cannon planes responded to the Laguna Fire around 9 a.m. off Laguna Road in the Oxnard Plains. The fire was estimated to have an area of 15 acres and spread rapidly through moderate brush.
The aircraft responded by dropping water on a dry, brush-covered hillside just west of the CSU Channel Islands campus and about 90 miles west of downtown Los Angeles.
Winds were blowing between 20 and 30 mph in the area.
#lagunafire; #VCFD on the scene of an approximately 2-acre wildfire off Laguna Road in the Oxnard Plains. Arriving units report the fire to be in moderate brush and rapidly spreading. Firefighters are using additional methods to extinguish the fire from the air and the ground. pic.twitter.com/qYz2nLj8ql
— VCFD PIO (@VCFD_PIO) January 23, 2025
The fires occurred on a day when red flag warnings were issued in Ventura and Los Angeles counties, where firefighters were busy fighting three large fires.
After the dry season turned into the rainy season in Southern California, the region is experiencing severe to extreme drought. After two seasons of above-average rainfall, months of drought left hillsides covered in dry brush that provided fuel for wildfires.
When a red flag warning is in effect, if a fire breaks out, it is likely to spread quickly due to strong winds. Flying embers also speed the spread of brush fires. Powerful wind gusts can scatter hot embers for miles and ignite them before the main fire lines, a nightmare scenario for firefighters.
