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Firefighters continued to make progress Sunday against a devastating wildfire in Ventura County. The fire, which has burned more than 20,000 acres and destroyed 134 structures, was about 26% down early Sunday as firefighters continued to mop up hot spots before winds were expected to pick up again Monday night. Authorities announced that the fire was extinguished.
Ten areas remained under evacuation orders Sunday, including areas around Santa Paula and Somis. Eight more homes have been issued evacuation advisories, and residents are being asked to prepare for potential evacuations. The latest information on evacuations was available on the Ventura County Sheriff’s Emergency Services Incident Dashboard.
“The impact on our community is severe, and we are relying on firefighters from Ventura County and neighboring areas, and a tremendous “We are working tirelessly with emergency services across the country.” During a Saturday evening press conference.
Sunday’s light breeze from the ocean and moderate humidity helped authorities extinguish the fire, which started Wednesday morning amid extreme Santa Ana winds. The fire displaced thousands of people and forever changed the lives of residents in many communities. The cause is still under investigation.
Officials said they are continuing to monitor weather changes as winds are expected to pick up again Monday night into Tuesday morning. However, it is not expected to be as severe as the strong winds that caused the fire in the first place.
“This is something we’re monitoring closely,” National Weather Service meteorologist Ryan Walbran said at a news conference late Saturday. “The current wind speeds do not appear to be as strong as they were at the time of the fire.”
The fire destroyed more than 130 structures, most of which were residences. Another 46 buildings were damaged, said Justin Boyajian with Cal Fire Tulare.
“We’re trying to do everything we can to help people who have lost their homes as much as we can,” Boyajian said.
Southern California Edison spokesman David Eisenhauer said about 500 customers were still without power in parts of Camarillo, Santa Paula and Somis, and it was not immediately clear when power would be restored. said.
“It is difficult to tell at this time as we still need to safely enter the scene, assess the damage and repair it,” he said. “We know this is a very difficult time. [residents] Work will begin as soon as power is safely restored. ”
Residents were scheduled to hold a community meeting Sunday night at Ventura County Fire Station 54 in Camarillo, where officials were expected to answer questions from residents and update them on progress in fighting the fire.
Ventura County Fire Chief Dustin Gardner said at a news conference late Saturday that he understands area residents are frustrated and want more information about what the recovery will look like. The county also plans to bring together various service providers on Wednesday to answer residents’ questions about the recovery process, he said. He appealed for patience as firefighters continued to extinguish the blaze.
“We continue to work diligently to suppress this fire, mop it up, get things under control and get people ready to come back,” Gardner said. “And that takes time.”
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