Fast-moving wildfire whips through Somis, Camarillo

Dangerous Santa Ana winds were fanning the blaze, which ignited near the 7900 block of Bradley Road and Balcom Canyon Road shortly before 9 a.m. The Mountain Fire, as it has been named, reportedly jumped Highway 118, near Camarillo Heights, shortly after 10:45 a.m. and continued burning south toward Camarillo, north toward Santa Paula and west toward Ventura throughout the day.

– Refresh for the latest news and photos.

Evacuation orders in place

The following evacuation orders are in effect for unincorporated areas near Somis, Camarillo Heights and nearby areas as of early afternoon:

• Zone 1 – North of Somis: Areas north of East Los Angeles Avenue/Hwy 118, west of Balcom Canyon Road, and east of La Vista Avenue  
• Zone 2 – Saticoy Country Club: east of Los Angeles Ave/Hwy 118, and south of the Santa Clara River and north of Beardsley Road
• Zone 3 – Areas south of Hwy 118, west of N. Lewis Road, north of North Loop Drive and Mission Drive, and east of Fairway Drive. 
• Zone 4 – West Camarillo (Las Posas/Spanish Hills areas): North of Las Posas Road, south and east of Central Avenue and Beardsley Road, and west of Anacapa Drive.
• Zone 6 – The area extending south of Santa Clara River, east of Los Angeles Avenue, north of Saticoy County Club, and west of Briggs Road.
• Zone 7 – The area north of Hwy 101 and south and east of Beardsley Avenue, and south of Central Avenue.
• Zone 9- The area east of Santa Paula Community Golf Course, north along the Santa Clara River, west of South Mountain Road at Sespe Street, south to Bixby Road.

A shelter is located at Padre Serra Parish, 5205 Upland Road in the Camarillo area. 

Evacuation warnings issued

• Zone 8 – An area extending south of South Mountain Road, east of Briggs Road, and west of 12^th Street and Bixby Road

For the latest on evacuations and power shutoffs, visit vcemergency.com or call a hotline at 805-465-6650.

Road closures

• Northbound Lewis Road at Las Posas
• Eastbound Highway 118 at Wells Road
• Westbound Highway 118 at Tierra Rejada Road
• 101 northbound off ramps at Central Avenue

As of 7:46 p.m., the fire had burned a little over 14,000 acres and was not contained at all, according to information released by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, or Cal Fire.

Cal Fire did not release figures on how many homes were destroyed. Reporters and photographers with The Star witnessed homes burning throughout the day, many of them in or near Camarillo and Somis.

Schools all over Ventura County will be closed Thursday because of the fire.

As of Wednesday evening, dozens of school districts and individual campuses in Ventura County, serving well over 70,000 students, had announced closures for Thursday, according to a list compiled by the Ventura County Office of Education. A few had also announced they would be closed Friday, as well.

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office reported an additional evacuation order as of 6:15 p.m. Wednesday.

The area stretches east of the Santa Paula Community Golf Course, north along the Santa Clara River, west of South Mountain Road and south to Bixby Road.

A map of current evacuation orders is available at vcemergency.com/.

When the Mountain Fire ignited, the Ventura County Fire Department called for water-dropping helicopters, tankers and other aircraft to help douse the flames.

But at least initially, those fixed wing aircraft could not drop retardant, said county fire Capt. Trevor Johnson, during a news conference Wednesday afternoon. With the gusty Santa Ana wind conditions, an air tactical supervisor flying overhead decided those drops were possible.

Authorities continued to assess conditions in different areas of the blaze throughout the day, he said. At times, aircraft did drop retardant in spots.

“We’re continuing to scout for opportunities to use that to our advantage,” said Johnson, operations section chief on the Mountain Fire. “We’ll continue to do so through the remainder of the incident.”

Authorities have lifted an evacuation warning for the east end of the city of Ventura, from Petit Road east to the city limits.

City officials said the area remains under the National Weather Service’s red flag warning and urged residents to stay alert and sign up for emergency notifications. To sign up for emergency alerts, go to readyventuracounty.org/vc-alert/.

Ventura County Fire Chief Dustin Gardner described sustained winds of 50 mph with gusts over 80 mph in the area of Wednesday’s Santa Ana-whipped blaze. Firefighters from Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Kern and Orange counties as well as Cal Fire responded to help.

“Every helicopter, every fixed wing aircraft, everything we’ve been able to get a hold of is here fighting this fire,” Gardner said, at a 4 p.m. news conference. “It is moving at a dangerous rate of spread. This fire has spotted more than 2 1/2 miles out in front of itself.”

He urged those who get an evacuation order to leave, saying this is not a fire that someone can wait to see what happens.

“Bushes are burning, grass is burning, hedgerows are burning, agricultural fields are burning, and structures are burning,” Gardner said. “This fire is moving dangerously fast.”

The blaze – measured by aircraft around 3 p.m. at 10,458 acres – had zero containment.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency on Wednesday afternoon authorized the use of federal funds to help the state battle the Mountain Fire.

The state submitted a request for a Fire Management Assistance Grant, according to a FEMA news release. The request was sent when the fire threatened 3,500 homes in the communities of Somis, Camarillo and Saticoy, which officials said have a combined population of 30,000.

The grant will provide federal funding for up to 75% of eligible firefighting costs. Eligible costs include expenses for equipment use, field camps, supplies and mobilization to fight the fire. FEMA’s Region 9 Administrator authorized the funds at 2:36 p.m.  

The Ventura County Air Pollution Control District issued an air quality alert Wednesday afternoon for Oxnard and Camarillo.

The agency recommended residents in those areas stay indoors as much as possible, close windows and doors and operate home and car air conditioning units in recirculation mode.

Wildfire smoke and ash can harm the heart and lungs. For those who must work outside, officials recommended wearing a properly-fitted N95 mask.

Ventura County farmworkers can receive text and audio alerts when wildfire smoke increases to unhealthy and hazardous levels. To sign up, text “SMOKE” for English or “HUMO” for Spanish, Mixteco and Zapoteco messages to 855-522-0034.



Real-time air quality data is available at airnow.gov. 

Padre Serra Parish has been designated as a temporary evacuation zone where people can get information, make calls to relatives, and have a place to stay as they plan their next moves, said David Wagner, a spokesperson for the American Red Cross.

The Red Cross is also prepared to convert the site into a full shelter with a trailer carrying cots and food on standby, he said. Pets and animals, however, are not allowed inside. On Wednesday, more than a dozen pets and their owners milled around the parish parking lot.

David Rodriguez, 27, stood near the trunk of his car with his girlfriend Kate Becker and their dog, Leo, making calls to friends and family. They live in Camarillo Heights, one of the neighborhoods under an evacuation order.

“We both work in Simi Valley and we decided to take off from work early when we heard the news to try to get our pets and valuables,” Rodriguez said.

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office posted a video on social media, saying the Mountain Fire was quickly moving toward Saticoy. Authorities urged residents to check for the latest updates about evacuation orders and shelter locations at vcemergency.com.

As of mid-afternoon Wednesday, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported the Mountain Fire had reached 10,458 acres.

Authorities have not released the number of structures lost, but photos and video have shown homes burning in the Camarillo area.

Mountain Fire burns through Camarillo neighborhoods

A group of Ventura County firefighters take action in Camarillo Heights along Cerro Crest and Valley Vista Drive on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. Many of the houses on the street went up in flames.

Southern California Edison has shut off power in sections of Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park, Camarillo, Somis, Simi Valley, Santa Paula and Piru, among other areas. 

The utility company had lines de-energized to prevent electrical equipment from sparking a fire — outages called Public Safety Power Shutoffs, or PSPS.

“We really do it as a last resort to protect our communities, especially when these weather conditions elevate the risk of wildfire,” said Diane Castro, a company spokesperson.

Information about the shut-offs and areas being monitored is available at sce.com/outage-center/check-outage-status.

The Ventura Police Department has issued an evacuation warning for the east end of the city from Petit Road east to the city limits. Residents who may need additional time to evacuate should consider leaving early.

For a map of evacuation areas, go to vcemergency.com/.

About 25 horses and more than a dozen goats from the fire have been evacuated to the Ventura County Fairgrounds. More are expected.

Nancy Reeves was at a Somis ranch about two miles from the fire. She thought it would pass by the property.

“Then the wind shifted and it came right at us,” she said.

Reeves brought nine horses to the fairgrounds. Bill Manning, who leases a barn in Somis, brought 10.

The livestock evacuations are coordinated by Ventura County Animal Services. A volunteer livestock rescue team has also been activated. Dogs, cats, rabbits and other small animals can be taken to the animal shelter on Aviation Drive in Camarillo.

Oxnard Union High School District has closed down its primary eight campuses on Wednesday, including Rancho Campana High School, Camarillo High School, Rio Mesa High School, Channel Islands High School, Del Sol High School, Hueneme High School, Oxnard High School and Pacifica High School.

Brianna Mellon, a district spokesperson, said in an email shortly after 1:15 p.m. that Rancho Campana students who did not drive themselves, or whose parents cannot pick them up, will be taken to Camarillo High and will be waiting in the school gym.

Camarillo and Rio Mesa high schools will remain open and students are allowed to wait on campus for as long as needed to be picked up.

Authorities reported the brush fire had burned nearly 8,900 acres by early afternoon.

The blaze ignited during what the National Weather Service called “particularly dangerous” conditions across much of Ventura and Los Angeles counties. Damaging wind gusts of 60-plus mph are combining with humidities around 10% over terrain that is critically dry, forecasters said.

The agency’s red flag warning has been extend until 9 a.m. Thursday for wind-prone areas. The agency has also issued a dense smoke advisory due to heavy smoke from the Mountain Fire in southern Ventura County.

Camarillo Heights Elementary School was evacuated Wednesday, according to a statement from the Pleasant Valley School District just after 12:30 p.m.. Remaining Camarillo Heights students were transported by bus to Monte Vista Middle School. All district child care services will end at 4:30 p.m. today.

Himelda Rubio, executive assistant to the district’s superintendent, said in a call just after 1:00 p.m. that most of the evacuated Camarillo Heights students have been picked up but a few remain at Monte Vista. The district has logged no injuries or property damage.

Authorities have issued an evacuation warning for the following area north of Highway 101 in Camarillo. A warning means people should be prepared to leave.

• West to Beardsley Road
• North to Loop Drive
• Las Posas Road to Ponderosa Drive 

As of 12:15 p.m., evacuation orders have been updated to now include: 

– Camarillo Heights area: North Lewis Road to Los Posas Country Club tp North of Loop Drive 

 – Unincorporated Somis

• West to Saticoy Country Club
• East to Balcom Canyon Road
• South to Highway 118

Authorities have issued an evacuation warning for the following area north of Highway 101 in Camarillo. A warning means people should be prepared to leave.

• West to Beardsley Road
• North to Loop Drive
• Las Posas Road to Ponderosa Drive 

Authorities report injuries

Kim Dellacort, a public information officer with the Office of Emergency Services, said she was aware people had sustained injuries and were taken to a local hospital. Details about the injuries or current conditions were not immediately available.

At around 12:10 p.m., firefighters asked to close Las Posas Road and Crestview Drive in Camarillo, where multiple vehicles were said to be stuck and possibly impacted by fire.

The fire was said to have jumped the area near Mission and Highland drives in Camarillo shortly before noon, according to radio traffic. Elsewhere, it was said to be approaching the Saticoy Country Club.

Authorities continued to assist residents with evacuation efforts.

Billowing smoke blew into Camarillo late Wednesday morning as the fire remained active in hillside areas. Some traffic signals were out, snarling traffic.

An evacuation area for residents was set up at Padre Serra Parish, 5205 Upland Road in Camarillo.Four families had checked in as of 11:30 a.m. with more expected to arrive, said Steve Medina, a member of the Red Cross communications team.

Evacuations, road closures

Radio traffic indicates fire crews have been sent to some homes in the area to assist people unable to evacuate as flames approached. Multiple residents on Greentree Drive were assisted.

Some people with injuries have been taken by ambulance to local hospitals, fire officials said. Radio traffic indicated some had gone to Los Robles Regional Medical Center.

Highway 118 was closed in all directions in the Somis area, California Highway Patrol officials said.

A traffic jam had formed near Mission Drive and Las Posas Road as residents tried to evacuate, sheriff’s radio traffic indicated.

Large animals were being evacuated to the Ventura County Fairgrounds. Small animals can be evacuated to the county’s Camarillo Animal Shelter.

The following evacuation orders are in effect for unincorporated areas near Somis as of late morning:

• West to Saticoy Country Club
• East to Balcom Canyon Road
• South to Highway 118