State of emergency declared as wildfire continues in Southern California

California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency on Friday as wildfires continued to grow in Southern California.

Ventura County’s Mountain Fire, which started Wednesday, has grown to more than 20,000 acres as 2,420 personnel tried to contain the blaze. As of Friday, 11,768 structures were under threat. The fire forced thousands of residents in Ventura County to flee their homes.

The fire affected Camarillo, California and surrounding areas, and injured six people, including a firefighter.

Camarillo is about 50 miles west of Los Angeles.

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“This is a dangerous fire that is spreading rapidly and threatening lives. California mobilized state resources, including CAL FIRE and Cal OES personnel, engines and aircraft, to protect communities as our fire and emergency response teams worked around the clock to combat this blaze. “Stay safe and remain alert to guidance from local authorities as hazardous fire weather conditions continue,” Newsom said.

Ventura County Fire Department spokesman Andy VanSciver said 132 homes were destroyed in the fire.

It was stated that the fire was sparked by strong Santa Ana winds, low humidity and extremely dry conditions. Winds gusted above 50 mph in many areas on Wednesday and Thursday.

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Winds will die down today and humidity is expected to be slightly higher this weekend, making it easier for firefighters to battle the fire. As of Friday, only 7% of the fire was contained.