Powerful winds in California on Wednesday 6 fueled fast-moving wildfires, leading to destroyed homes and hundreds of residents fleeing the affected areas.
The Mountain Fire northwest of Los Angeles grew rapidly, causing evacuation orders for suburban communities, ranches, and agricultural areas near Santa Paula in southern Ventura County.
The big picture: Dangerous gusts topping 61 mph grounded fixed-wing aircraft, hindering firefighting efforts while water-dropping helicopters remained operational.
- Several injuries were reported, and structures, including at least 20 homes in Camarillo neighborhoods, were damaged or destroyed by the wildfires.
- Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office coordinated state agencies to support needs in Ventura County, while fire crews worked to contain a separate wildfire near Malibu’s Broad Beach.
- Tens of thousands of residents experienced power outages as precautionary measures were taken to prevent wildfires amid extreme fire danger conditions characterized by high winds and low humidity levels.
Go deeper: Red flag warnings were issued across various regions in California, prompting residents in canyon, mountain, and foothill communities to be prepared for evacuations at short notice.
- Utility companies shut off power to thousands of customers in Northern and Southern California to reduce the risk of electrical infrastructure sparking fires in dry and windy conditions.
- The wildfires reignited concerns about the Woolsey Fire tragedy in 2018, where three people died and 1,600 homes were destroyed due to a fire sparked by Edison equipment in the same area.
