It’s not quite been a week since the Mountain Fire erupted in Ventura County, the wind-driven wildfire leveling more than 130 homes, prompting thousands to flee while fire crews battled the blaze.
First reported just before 9 a.m. Nov. 6 in the 7900 block of Balcom Canyon Road near Bradley Road between the communities of Moorpark and Somis, north of the 118 Freeway, it quickly jumped the roadway and tore through the Camarillo Heights neighborhood.
“We are six days into this incident now,” Ventura County Fire Chief Dustin Gardner said. “It seems like it’s been weeks, but we are six days into it.”
Officials believe the worst is now behind them as they see a switch in the winds and have spent the last few days working to repopulate some areas previously evacuated. Power companies are also working to bring electricity back to homes.
According to Cal Fire’s most recent update, the Mountain Fire scorched 20,630 acres and stands at 42% containment.
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Television reporters film as flames from the Mountain Fire consume a home in Camarillo, Calif., on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger) -
A home burns in the Mountain fire, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, near Camarillo, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) -
A firefighter attempts to control the blaze burning a house as the Santa Ana wind-fed Mountain fire scorches acres, in Camarillo, California, on November 6, 2024.
(Getty Images) -
A firefighter attempts to control the blaze burning a house as the Santa Ana wind-fed Mountain fire scorches acres, in Camarillo, California, on November 6, 2024. (Getty Images) -
The Mountain Fire is seen from Sky5 during the early morning hours on Nov. 7, 2024. (KTLA) -
Firefighter Missy Forrett with the Beverly Hills Fire Department puts out flames at a home destroyed by the Mountain Fire in Camarillo, Calif., Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. (Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle via AP) -
The Mountain Fire burns along S Mountain Road in Santa Paula, Thursday, November 7, 2024. (Hans Gutknecht/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images) -
A helicopter drops water over a burning home in the Mountain fire, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, near Camarillo, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez) -
Kelly Barton, left, is hugged by a family friend after arriving at her parents’ fire-ravaged property in the aftermath of the Mountain Fire, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024, in Camarillo, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) -
Todd Howard, left, sifts through the remains of his parents’ fire-ravaged property with the help of firefighters after the Mountain Fire swept through, Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024, in Camarillo, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) -
A photo of the Wallace’s tricked out classic Volvo destroyed in the Mountain Fire in Ventura County on Nov. 6, 2024. (viewer photo) -
A view of the Mountain Fire posted to social media by the Ventura Co. Air Unit on Nov. 7, 2024.
“The Mountain Fire, we all feel comfortable, is buttoned up,” Chief Gardner added. “You may see flare ups. You may see dustups and feel a lot of ash if you’re downwind of this fire.”
Despite the optimism from officials, there are those that lost everything in the fire who are still reeling from the experience.
“I was really a basket case yesterday,” Jim Lingle, whose home was destroyed by the blaze, said. “I don’t really cry easily.”
Lingle’s house was one of nearly 200 structures burned down after the fire ignited last week. He questions whether he could have fought harder to save him had he stayed longer.
“They said, ‘You got to go because this entire neighborhood is going to be burned down,’” he explained to KTLA. “If you look here, three houses on that side are fine.”
Then there are others who are trying to make sense of how their homes survived.
“There are mixed emotions,” one resident told KTLA. “Why my house saved, and somebody else’s didn’t. It’s very heartbreaking.”
While the discussion now turns to disaster relief and recovery, residents like Lingle say they don’t know if they have it in them to stay and rebuild.
“Yeah, I want to rebuild, but we don’t know if we can do it,” he said.
There are still some zones in the area that remain under evacuation orders. For the most updated information, visit https://www.vcemergency.com/.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
