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A cessation of Santa Ana winds over the weekend allowed firefighters to make steady progress in extinguishing wildfires in Ventura County, but with winds expected to pick up again this week, more work remains to be done. There are still some left.
Ventura County Fire Department Deputy Chief Chad Cook spoke with KTLA 5’s Annie Rose Ramos Monday morning to provide an update on the fire situation and firefighting efforts.
“Actually, we’re looking pretty good…this fire has pushed a lot of buttons for us,” Chief Cook said. “We are gradually getting around this problem.”
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Crews began demobilizing some equipment Monday morning as containment numbers continued to rise, but the firefight is far from over, Cook said.
“We’re really deep into the fire to make sure there’s nothing that will flare up or cause problems,” he said.
Television reporters film as flames from a wildfire consume a home in Camarillo, California, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) Flames consume a home as a wildfire rages in Camarillo, California. Wednesday, November 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) Firefighters and sheriff’s deputies push a vintage car away from a burning home during a wildfire. Fire on Wednesday, November 6, 2024 in Camarillo, California. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) A house burns in a wildfire near Camarillo, Calif., Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) Thursday in a pen at Swan Hill Farm in Moorpark, Calif. Flames from a forest fire sputter across the hillside as horses gallop. November 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) A helicopter drops water on a house burning in a wildfire Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, near Camarillo, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
At a community meeting held Sunday night for residents affected by the fire, some questioned why firefighters had not been able to save more structures from burning down, and Chief Cook said the fire department had no control over the fire. He said he even received hostile phone calls about the status of the operation.
The chief says the main factor in the destruction that people are wondering about is strong winds.
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“Wind-driven fires are a creature of their own,” he said. “When you’re facing headwinds, you’re in an environment that you can’t control. And we all want to be in control of the environment we’re in. And when firefighters are put in that position… All people can do is take a small snapshot of what’s actually happening on the ground.
“While we strive to put resources on the streets and make calculated decisions, we also understand that not everything is perfect,” Chief Cook continued. “However, we are asking the public to enter these areas immediately and we want them to put their lives first and carry out primary searches to find people and remove them from danger. In some cases, property may be sacrificed.”
Marvin Meador inspects a fire-ravaged property after a wildfire started Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024, in Camarillo, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) Marvin Meador inspects a fire-ravaged property after a wildfire. Marvin Meador walks on the debris of a wildfire in Camarillo, Calif., Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) Kelly Burton, left, parents’ fire-ravaged property in the aftermath of the wildfire. Camarillo, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) A firefighter is hugged by family and friends after arriving Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024, in Camarillo, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) A firefighter on bicycle fights a mobile wildfire, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. Near Camarillo, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) Todd Howard receives help from his parents’ fire-ravaged property after a wildfire starts Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024, in Camarillo, Calif. Left scavenging the remains of a wildfire in Camarillo, California, U.S., Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) (Getty Images)
At one point during the height of the gunfight, crews responded to an active rescue of 136 people trapped inside the burning building, the chief said, which ranged from firefighting to search and rescue operations. This highlights the need to move quickly to rescue.
“If there’s supplies on the street and somebody says, ‘Hey, that fire truck went out,’ absolutely. [it did] Because we’re calling the companies that are out there and saying, ‘We need you to come out two streets over because people are trapped,”’ Chief Cook told KTLA. . “We have a diverse group of people in our community… We have elderly people in our area who are unable to get out on their own. We have firefighters to physically remove them and assist them. We have to put them there so we can get out of the gunfire.”
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Chief Cook detailed Sunday night’s meeting, saying the men and women of the Ventura County Fire Department care more about the lives of local residents than their own lives. Some people reportedly lost their homes in the fire.
Ventura County Fire Department Deputy Chief Chad Cook provided KTLA 5’s Annie Rose Ramos with an update on the fire situation and firefighting efforts on Monday, November 11, 2024.
“When you drive through this area, it’s emotional because this is our family and our neighbors,” he said. “When we see the aftermath and meet people face-to-face…we see the damage that has happened and feel guilty that we could have done more, that we could have been more successful with our actions. Masu.”
“We have to let people know that [the fire department] “Not every decision we make is right, but we do the best we can with the number of inputs we have and put lives first,” he said. .
As of Monday morning, the fire was 20,630 acres and 36% contained, according to Cal Fire. A total of 174 structures have been destroyed, another 74 damaged and six people, including one firefighter, injured since the fire broke out Wednesday morning near Balcom Canyon and Bradley Road in Somis. did.
For the latest updates on the Mountain Fire from Cal Fire, click here.
Emergency updates from Ventura County officials can be found here.
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