The blaze ignited on Wednesday morning in Moorpark, located in Ventura County, about 60 kilometers northwest of Los Angeles. By the afternoon, it had consumed over 10,400 acres and reached the outskirts of Camarillo, a city with a population of around 70,000.
Evacuation orders have been issued for more than 10,000 residents as the fire threatens approximately 3,500 structures in suburban areas, farms, and agricultural regions surrounding Camarillo, according to a statement from California Governor Gavin Newsom.
In response to the situation, Newsom announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency had granted approval to provide crucial resources to Ventura County, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
Local news broadcasts depicted numerous homes engulfed in flames and others completely destroyed, with a substantial plume of smoke ascending hundreds of feet into the air, obscuring visibility for both firefighters and those evacuating the area.
The National Weather Service in the Los Angeles region has updated its red flag warning for heightened fire danger to include a “particularly dangerous situation” designation. With anticipated wind gusts reaching up to 80 miles per hour and low humidity levels, several areas in Los Angeles and Ventura County could be susceptible to extreme fire conditions through Thursday, according to the weather service.