California Wildfire Explodes to Nearly 15K Acres in Hours

California was lashed by powerful winds Wednesday that fed a fast-moving wildfire, which destroyed dozens of homes and forced thousands of residents to flee as forecasters warned of the potential for "extreme and life-threatening" blazes, the AP reports. Northwest of Los Angeles, the Mountain Fire exploded in size and prompted evacuation orders for more than 10,000 people as it threatened 3,500 structures in suburban communities, ranches, and agricultural areas around Camarillo, according to a statement from Gov. Gavin Newsom. The area is east of the Pacific coast city of Ventura, which was devastated by the Thomas Fire in 2017. It will receive federal assistance after a request from Newsom was granted, FEMA said.

• The blaze was burning in a region that has seen some of California's most destructive fires over the years. A thick plume of smoke rose hundreds of feet into the sky Wednesday, blanketing whole neighborhoods and limiting visibility. The fire grew from less than half a square mile to 16 square miles in little more than five hours. Ventura County Fire Captain Trevor Johnson described crews racing to homes threatened by the flames to save lives. "This is as intense as it gets. The hair on the back of the firefighters' neck I'm sure was standing up," he said Wednesday afternoon. Two people suffered apparent smoke inhalation and were taken to hospitals, fire officials said.

• The erratic winds and limited visibility grounded fixed-wing aircraft, and gusts topped 61mph, said meteorologist Bryan Lewis. Water-dropping helicopters were still flying. First responders pleaded with residents to evacuate. Deputies made contact with 14,000 people to urge them to leave as embers spread up to 2.5 miles away and sparked new flames. "This fire is moving dangerously fast," Ventura County Fire Chief Dustin Gardner said. Other footage captured horses trotting alongside evacuating vehicles.

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• The National Weather Service office amended its red flag warning for increased fire danger with a rare "particularly dangerous situation" label, and officials in several counties urged residents to watch for fast-spreading blazes, power outages, and downed trees amid the latest round of notorious Santa Ana winds. With predicted gusts between 50mph and 100mph and humidity levels as low as 8%, parts of Southern California could experience conditions ripe for "extreme and life-threatening" fire behavior into Thursday, the weather service said. Forecasters also issued red flag warnings until Thursday from California's central coast through the San Francisco Bay Area and into counties to the north.
• Utilities in California began powering down equipment after a series of massive wildfires in recent years were sparked by electrical lines and other infrastructure. On Wednesday, more than 65,000 customers in Southern California were without power preventatively, and upwards of 20,000 in Northern California.

(More California wildfires stories.)