Many Ventura County residents affected by the wildfire, which has burned 20,630 acres and is 31% contained, attended the first community meeting at Fire Station 54 since the fire started.
The fire, which destroyed more than 130 homes, started just before 9 a.m. Nov. 6 at 7900 Balcom Canyon Road, north of Highway 118 and near Bradley Road between the communities of Moorpark and Somis. First reported on Block.
Winds quickly pushed the flames across the highway, engulfing the Camarillo Heights neighborhood and forcing thousands of people to evacuate.
Good winds in recent days have allowed firefighters to extinguish hot spots and given authorities the opportunity to lift evacuation orders in some areas of the fire.
However, mandatory evacuation orders remain in place in 10 other regions, leaving many displaced and hundreds without homes at all.
Wildfire footage posted on social media by Ventura Air Force on November 7, 2024. Wildfire footage posted on social media by Ventura Air Force on November 7, 2024. Ventura County received an update on wildfires at a community meeting on November 7, 2024. (KTLA)
“I went there yesterday to see the damage,” resident Ramonda Kent said of her property. “Everything is gone.”
On Sunday night, fire officials updated residents on their efforts over the past few days, but acknowledged that not everyone was satisfied with the fire and evacuation response.
Still, officials stressed that thousands of homes had been saved and hundreds of people had been rescued.
“We’re still under an evacuation order,” resident Ted Ohinger told KTLA of his reason for attending the rally. “We just wanted to come get information about schedules, utility restoration, water supply, etc.”
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Officials said preparedness was a top priority when creating maps for the possibility of future windy days.
“Once the winds return, we don’t expect to see any flare-ups of the fire,” said Andrew Dowd with the Ventura County Fire Department.
As repopulation efforts move forward, authorities are reminding residents to stay safe and aware of debris, downed power lines and other potential hazards.
This week, we have another community focused on recovery efforts and what’s next for disaster victims.
More information about evacuations can be found at www.vcemergency.com.
