Daily Times

Thousands of people were urged to flee an out-of-control wildfire burning around communities near Los Angeles on Thursday, with scores of homes already lost to the fast-moving flames.

Fierce seasonal winds had cast embers up to three miles (five kilometers) from the seat of the fire around Camarillo, with new spots burning on hillsides, farmland and in residential areas.

The Mountain Fire grew rapidly from a standing start early Wednesday, and by the following day had consumed 20,485 acres (8,290 hectares), with towering flames leaping unpredictably and sending residents scrambling.

The fire was only five percent contained as of Thursday evening, authorities said, although wind patterns were expected to favor firefighters through the night.

“We’ve been up all night watching this. I haven’t slept,” Erica Preciado told one local broadcaster as she drove her family out of the danger zone.

“We’re just trying to get a safe place. I didn’t even know what to take. I just have everything in my car,” she said, gesturing tearfully to her packed vehicle.

Authorities said that based on initial inspections, at least 132 homes had been completely destroyed, with 88 more damaged by the fires. One man told broadcaster KTLA he and his family had fled their home of 27 years, finding out later that it had been destroyed.

“It’s all gone,” he said, his voice catching. “It’s all gone.”

Dawn Deleon described how she had only moments to flee with her six dogs.

“We watched the neighbors’ houses burning and figured it was time to get out of there,” she said.

“We left and were just gone for five minutes and went back to get my phone, and the house was already on fire and gone.”

Ventura County Fire Department officials said they were throwing resources at the blaze in an area that is home to 30,000 people, but that changing wind patterns meant there was hope the fire could die down in the coming days.