Video: California’s Mountain Fire rages out of control due to hazardous weather conditions

A wildfire in Ventura County, California, has rapidly grown due to high winds, surpassing 14,000 acres.
Thousands of people and structures have been threatened by what is being called the Mountain Fire, prompting numerous evacuations.
At least 800 firefighters are battling the blaze, which began Wednesday, but it remains 0% contained, according to a post on X by the Ventura County Fire Department. Hundreds more firefighters are expected to arrive to assist.
The fast-moving wildfire was stirred into a fury by “gusty northeast winds” and “low relative humidity,” which created optimal conditions for rapid spread, the fire department said. A Red Flag Warning has been issued until 6 p.m. Thursday, when the hazardous conditions are expected to ease.
The cause of the fire has not been determined and is under investigation.
A video shared by The Wall Street Journal shows the fire’s impact, with homes reduced to rubble and large areas engulfed in flames, sending plumes of smoke into the air.
“Every law enforcement agency available, every helicopter, every fixed-wing aircraft, everything we’ve been able to get ahold of is here fighting this fire,” Ventura County Fire Chief Dustin Gardner said. “And it is moving at a dangerous rate of spread.”
According to The Associated Press, the fire expanded rapidly from half a square mile to over 16 square miles in about five hours.
Approximately 10,000 people have been evacuated, and 3,500 homes are in the fire’s path, California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office said.
The statement noted that state officials secured resources from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help manage the fire.
“This is a dangerous fire that’s spreading quickly and threatening lives,” Newsom said. “State resources have been mobilized to protect communities, and this federal support from the Biden-Harris Administration will give state and local firefighters the resources they need to save lives and property as they continue battling this aggressive fire.”
Emergency power shutoffs have also been issued throughout the area to prevent additional fires sparked by electrical systems impacted by the conditions, according to Southern California Edison, which operates much of Southern California’s utilities.
The utility’s outage map shows more than 20,000 Ventura County residents affected by the power outages and nearly 70,000 people in total impacted, including surrounding counties.