—
Strong winds are expected to return to Southern California Monday, raising fears the Mountain Fire, which has already damaged and destroyed dozens of homes in Ventura County, could continue to spread after calmer weekend weather allowed firefighters to get its containment up to 31%.
The firehas burned approximately 20,630 acres as of Sunday night, according to Cal Fire. Since the flames sparked Wednesday, 168 structures have been destroyed and another 67 damaged. Six injuries have been reported, including five civilians and one firefighter, officials said.
A cold front is expected to move into the region Monday, bringing a slight chance of rain, but gusting winds that helped fuel the fire’s spread last week will also return. Wind advisories are in place for parts of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, where gusts of 50 to 60 mph are possible.
As the work to rein in the flames in Southern California continues, firefighters on the East Coast are also battling fires in New York and New Jersey as the region contends with an ongoing drought, dry air and high winds. The Jennings Creek Fire near the New York-New Jersey border has burned thousands of acres and resulted in the death of an 18-year-old New York State Forest Ranger volunteer, officials said.
In California, as officials assess the damage already inflicted by the Mountain Fire, Ventura County Fire Chief Dustin Gardner said he’s “grateful for the number of lives that were saved and the fact that we have zero reported fatalities.”
“I know we suffered great damage, but thousands of homes were saved and hundreds of lives were rescued. I know we made mistakes, but we will learn from those mistakes,” Gardner said during a community meeting Sunday night.
Gardner pointed out thatthe number of residents, about 30,000 in the fire-affected area, including 7,000 who are non-native English speakers, made evacuating the area challenging.
“We were fortunate that the fire started at 9 o’clock in the morning, with daylight,” said Jim Fryhoff, the sheriff of Ventura County. “Imagine this at 9 o’clock at night, where it’s already dark. Then you lose power in an area that’s already dark, then you have smoke on top of that. This had the opportunity to be so exponentially worse.”
A meeting is scheduled for Wednesday to connect residents with service providers as part of the recovery and relief efforts.
As the flames spread last week, residents were forced to evacuate at a moment’s notice. Terrie Morin, who fled with her husband and friends, recalled the panic: “Get the dog. Get out of here. You don’t have time, just get out!” As they escaped through thick smoke, they could only grab a few essentials.
As the community grapples with loss, many families are left to face the aftermath.
Stan Jensen and Dawn DaMart were over 1,000 miles away when their home in Camarillo was engulfed in flames. The couple watched in despair as news footage showed their house burning.
“We had a person working at the house doing remodeling and he said, ‘I don’t want to be the one to tell you this, but your house is burning down,’” DaMart said.
Agricultural officials assessing the impact on farmland planted with avocados, citrus, and berries have estimated the damage at $2.4 million, the Ventura County Star reported. County Agricultural Commissioner Korinne Bell cautioned on Friday that this figure represents only 2% of the burned area, which encompasses approximately 12,000 acres of farmland, meaning the total cost is likely to rise, the Star reported.
The cause of the Mountain Fire remains under investigation, with officials looking into whether power lines may have contributed. As the situation evolves, residents are urged to stay informed and prepared for changing conditions.
CNN’s Paradise Afshar and Robert Shackelford contributed to this report.
