Firefighters are working to contain a rapidly burning brush fire on South Mountain in Moorpark, which they say is being fueled by strong winds blowing through the area.
Want to get caught up on what's happening in SoCal every weekday afternoon? Click to follow The L.A. Local wherever you get podcasts.
The blaze, being referred to as the Mountain Fire, was first reported at around 8:50 a.m. near the 7900 block of Balcom Canyon Road and Bradley Road, according to the Ventura County Fire Department.
In just about an hour, the blaze had ballooned in size to engulf nearly 1,000 acres of brush, firefighters said. It remains 0% contained.
"Strong winds in the area are contributing to challenging conditions," VCFD said. "Currently, 140 firefighters are on scene, utilizing 58 fire apparatus, with additional helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft requested to assist."
The fire comes in the midst of severe winds battering much of Southern California, which prompted National Weather Service officials to issue Red Flag Warnings. In this particular instance they issued a "Particularly Dangerous Situation" alert because of the threat posed by "an ongoing or imminent fire weather pattern."
SkyCal flew over the scene of the fire, where multiple structures could be seen burning.
Evacuation orders are currently in effect for residents living in the area spanning from Walnut Avenue to Balcom Canyon Road, firefighters said. An evacuation shelter was available at Padre Serra Parish, located at 5205 Upland Road in Camarillo.
Follow KNX News 97.1 FM
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok
