Firefighters hope to take advantage of a break in high winds early Thursday morning as they continue to battle the Ventura County wildfire that has already burned thousands of acres and destroyed dozens of homes.
The fire broke out just before 9 a.m. Wednesday near Balcom Canyon Road and Bradley Road, north of Highway 118. Initially, brush and Santa Ana winds were reported to have caused the 50-acre fire, but the fire jumped the highway and exploded to more than 14,000 acres by Wednesday night.
As of 4 a.m. Thursday, the fire was mapped at 14,187 acres with no fire suppression equipment, according to Cal Fire.
A wildfire can be seen from Sky5 in the early morning hours of November 7, 2024. (KTLA) A wildfire scorches acres and a home is engulfed in wildfire flames in Camarillo Heights, Camarillo, Calif., on Nov. 6. 2024. (Photo by ETIENNE LAURENT/AFP via Getty Images) KTLA 5 News reporter Sarah Welch reports live from Camarillo Heights as the house goes up in flames. (KTLA) Sky 5 aerial view of homes destroyed by wildfire in Ventura County, California on November 6, 2024. (KTLA) Firefighters pull a hose in front of a burnt home as a wildfire burns through acres in Camarillo Heights, Camarillo. , November 6, 2024, California. (Photo by ETIENNE LAURENT/AFP via Getty Images) Sky5 aerial view of homes destroyed by wildfire in Ventura County, California, November 6, 2024. (KTLA) Sky5 aerial view of a home destroyed in a wildfire in Ventura County, California, on November 6, 2024. (KTLA) Sky5 aerial view of the Somis, California wildfire on November 6, 2024. (KTLA) Sky5 aerial view of the Somis forest fire. , November 6, 2024, California. (KTLA) Sky5 aerial view of the Somis, California wildfire on November 6, 2024. (KTLA) Sky5 aerial view of a home that caught fire during the November wildfires in Ventura County, California. November 6, 2024. (KTLA) Residents evacuate horses from a wildfire scar in Ventura County, California, on November 6, 2024. (KTLA) Deputies rescue a resident in a wheelchair from a house engulfed in flames during a wildfire. Ventura County, October 30, 2024. (Key News Network) Sky5 aerial view of a home on fire during a wildfire in Ventura County, California, on November 6, 2024. (KTLA) Sky5 aerial view of homes destroyed in California wildfires. November 6, 2024, Ventura County, California. (KTLA)(KTLA)
Video footage showed the fire raging throughout the day and night, with countless homes ablaze. The exact number of homes destroyed is still unknown, as authorities say the area is still too dangerous to survey.
Fire officials said Thursday morning that thousands of homes in Moorpark, Camarillo, Camarillo Heights and Santa Paula remained under threat. More than 10,000 people have been forced to leave their homes due to forced evacuations.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
The shelter was established at Padre Serra Parish, 5205 Upland Avenue in Camarillo. Large animals can be brought to the Ventura County Fairgrounds, located at 10 E. Harbor Blvd. Small animals can be taken to Ventura County Animal Services at Camarillo Airport, 600 Aviation Drive. For more information about evacuations, visit vcemergency.com or call 805-465-6650.
