Ventura County Fire: 132,000 Acres Burned, 10% Contained

MALIBU, CA – The Thomas fire continued to grow to the north and west towards Santa Barbara County, swelling to 132,000 acres scorched at only 10 percent containment Friday morning. A thick, dark blanket of smoke continued to loom over Ventura County, raining ash and embers down on residents and firefighters as the blaze continued to wreak havoc on the county.

By Thursday evening, the blaze had destroyed 401 Ventura structures and damaged at least 81 more, authorities said. Twelve additional structures were destroyed in unincorporated areas of Ventura County, according to Los Angeles Times. Over 15,000 total structures are threatened due to Thomas Fire flames, including buildings in various parts of Ventura, Ojai, Santa Paula, and Carpenteria, the Ventura County Fire Department said.

“You had to chew the air before you breathed it,” said Shane Nollsch, who had traveled from Nevada on Wednesday to help combat the blaze.

The unincorporated areas of Ventura County, Matilija Canyon, and Las Padres National Forest remain threatened, VCFD said. There are a total of 3,528 emergency personnel assigned to the Thomas Fire, including: 21 helicopters, 544 engines, and 48 hand crews. The cause is still under investigation.

Smoke continued to pollute the area creating an apocalyptic scene worthy of a dystopian horror flick – the sky was drenched in a muck-grey fog so dense it was hard to see down the street. Roads and highways were intermittently closed throughout the day based on the current fire conditions, which were unpredictable due to fickle winds.

"We're trying to get the word out to everybody that lives along the coast that they really need to start thinking about [evacuating] right now," Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown said. "Make sure your car's gassed up, make sure your irreplaceable documents, photographs, all that stuff, box it up. Even if you don't load your car up, just have it ready to go."

The Santa Ana winds were in full force, pushing the uncontrollable wildfire closer to new neighborhoods and prompting new evacuations. Air quality in Ojai remained at hazardous levels, with 40 mile per hour winds pushing flames to within a mile of the city, Los Angeles Times reported.

A woman's body was found in a burn area near Ojai earlier Thursday sent a shockwave across the county, adding a newfound sense of urgency to knocking the flames down. A police officer drove through an area near Faria Beach shouting warnings to residents through a megaphone.

"We're running on adrenaline," one Ventura resident said while hosing down a dry tree outside her home.

"We all have friends who's houses have been burning down, it's a lot to handle," another bystander said.

The flames, which erupted Monday with the help of harsh winds, crossed Highway 33 (burning through oil fields in the process) and jumped over Highway 101 in the quest to reach the Pacific Ocean. Officials issued new evacuation orders in Ojai Valley, sending an emergency cell phone alert to residents to notify them, according to Los Angeles Times. Five assisted-living facilities received help from authorities in evacuating, and those at Ojai Hospital were advised to shelter in place.

The status of the fire heavily relies on the Santa Ana winds, which authorities anticipated to be extremely strong continuing through Saturday; winds have the potential to reach speeds of 80 miles per hour, according to Cal Fire Chief Ken Pimlott. On top of that, the area is experiencing a dry climate and extremely low humidity – authorities said the flames could last multiple weeks.

"When we have opportunities, when the winds have died down, we do direct firefighting on the fire line and try to get some containment," Ventura County Fire Chief Mark Lorenzen said. "Until the wind stops blowing, there's really not a lot we can do as far as controlling the perimeter."

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Information for Ventura County Residents:

A telephone information line has been established to keep the public up to date on the Thomas Fire: 805-465-6650

Casitas Municipal Water District has issued a boil water order for the Upper Ojai Valley, Casitas Springs Foster Park and parts of the City of Ventura due to loss of pressure and water supply from the fire related power outages. All tap water used for drinking and cooking should be boiled to a rolling boil for approximately 1 minute; this is the preferred method to ensure water is safe to drink. To see if your area is affected, visit http://www.cityofventura.ca.gov/.

The city of Ventura Police Department has declared a curfew in response to the fire; effective Dec. 5 a curfew is in effect from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily. The County of Ventura, City of Santa Paula, City of Ojai and City of Ventura have all proclaimed a local emergency.

Evacuations

MANDATORY EVACUATIONS:

City of Santa Paula - Boundary of Say Road north to Thomas Aquinas, Dickenson Ranch Road east to Santa Paula Creek
Santa Paula unincorporated area, east of Santa Paula Creek, north of highway 126, west of Hall Road to Timber Canyon Road

City of Santa Paula - Boundary of Monte Vista Street north to city limits, Foothill Road from Steckel to Peck Road to north of city limits
Santa Paula unincorporated area towards Ventura- North of Foothill Road from Peck Road to Wells Road including: Wheeler Canyon, Aliso Canyon and Rancho Vista
City of Ventura - Teloma west to Brent Street, Telegraph Road north to north of Foothill Road
City of Ventura - Victoria Road east to Hill Road, Telegraph Road north to Foothill Road
City of Ventura - North Ashwood Avenue east to Hill Road, Telegraph Road north to Foothill Road
City of Ventura - North of Foothill Road from Wells Road to Poli Street
City of Ventura - North of Main Street from Seward Avenue to Hwy 33 (includes entire Ventura Avenue area)
Oak View - Boundary of Hwy 33 east to Creek Road, Creek Road north to Fairview Road
Meiners Oaks - North of E. El Roblar between Rice Road and Hwy 33

Entire Community of Casitas Springs - Evacuate to Ventura County Fairgrounds - 10 West Harbor Blvd., Ventura
Lake Casitas - North of Hwy 150 heading to Hwy 33 and south of Los Padres National Forest
East Ojai Valley - Carne Road east to Koenigstein Road, SR 150 north to Thacher Road
Ojai - Casitas Pass Road east to Rice Road, Baldwin Road to North of Matilija Canyon (Includes Burnham Road North to Baldwin Road)
Upper Ojai Valley - Hwy 150 from Dennison Grade east to Osborne Road and all residences north
Upper Ojai Valley (West) - Hwy 33 - Matilija Canyon

Unincorporated Ventura CountyArea- Residents and day visitors of Rose Vallley
Ventura County North Coast Area - Boundary of Hwy 33 on the north to Casitas Vista Road, northwest to Hwy 150, Hwy 150 (Casitas Pass Road) west to US 101 and south on US 101 (including Pacific Coast Highway) to Emma Wood State Beach
Unincorporated area of Fillmore - The area of Hall Road to the west, Sespe Creek to the east, Fillmore City limits to the south, and Los Padres National Forest boundary to the north

VOLUNTARY EVACUATIONS:

City of Ventura- North Hill Road east to Wells Road, Telegraph Road to Foothill Road.
Ojai- Casitas Pass Road east to Highway 33, Spring Street to Loma Drive. (Includes Rice Road east to Loma Drive. Baldwin Road north to Besant Road)
Unincorporated area of Fillmore - Sespe Creek to the west, Burson Ranch to the east, Fillmore City limits to the south, and Los Padres National Forest boundary to the north.

ANIMAL EVACUATIONS:
Please call 866-EVRT911 (866-387-8911) for requests for assistance in animal evacuations.
Large animal evacuations at the Ventura County Fairgrounds - 10 W Harbor Blvd, Ventura, CA

EVACUATION SHELTERS

Red Cross shelters provide for the immediate needs of those evacuated, including a safe place to stay, food (meals, snacks), water, showers, health services, emotional support, information, and other support resources for displaced individuals, families, pets, and livestock. Impacted residents in Ventura County are welcome to stop by during the day for support services, even if they choose to spend the night elsewhere.

City of Ventura - Ventura County Fairgrounds (Red Cross - Includes an Animal Shelter for all types of animals) –
10 W Harbor Blvd, Ventura, CA
City of Ojai - Nordhoff High School - 1401 Maricopa Hwy, Ojai, CA
City of Oxnard - Oxnard College Gymnasium - 4000 S. Rose Ave, Oxnard, CA Open 1
City of Santa Paula - Santa Paula Community Center - 530 W Main St, Santa Paula, CA
UC Santa Barbara - Santa Barbara Multi Activity Center - Includes an Animal Shelter for small animals - preferably in crates, 516 Ocean Road, Santa Barbara, CA

Red Cross Shelters welcome residents with access and functional needs; advise Red Cross staff of your needs when you register.

The Ventura County Behavioral Health department is deploying disaster response teams to the various shelters throughout the county. Mental health professionals will be on site at designated times to provide crisis intervention, counseling and community resource referrals in collaboration with other emergency response services; notify shelter staff if such services are desired. For additional information or other inquiries related to Behavioral Health services, please contact them at their toll-free 24/7 hotline at (866) 998-2243.

All animal evacuations are being handled at the Ventura County Fairgrounds, according to VCFD.

HARD ROAD CLOSURES

OJAI VALLEY & OJAI CITY & UNINCORPORATED AREAS

East bound SR-150, from Reeves Rd in Ojai to Stonegate Rd in Santa Paula
SR 150 (Casitas Pass Road) between Highway 33 and the 101

SR 150 at Santa Ana Road
SR 33 NB from Maricopa Highway and Ojai Avenue to Matilija Canyon
Ventura Ave (Highway 150 / Highway 33) at the "Y"
Nye Road loop east of Highway 33 in Casitas Vistas
Grand Avenue - All North bound streets
Foothill Road from Aliso to North End

VENTURA CITY & UNINCORPORATED AREAS

Foothill at High Point Drive
Foothill at LaFonda Court
Foothill at Skyline Road
Foothill at Colina Vista
Wells Road at Foothill Road

FILLMORE CITY & UNINCORPORATED AREAS

Old Telegraph Road at C Street
Old Telegraph at Keith Road
Sycamore Road at SR 126
Hall Road at SR 126

SANTA PAULA UNINCORPORATED AREA

Cummings Road at Foothill Road
Peck Road at Foothill Road
Olive Road at Foothill Road
Toland at SR 126
Timber Canyon at SR 126

The train tracks are closed from Carpenteria to Faria Beach No AMTRAK Services in Ventura County.

This is a developing story; Please refresh the page for updates.

Photo: OJAI, CA - DECEMBER 07: A home is consumed by fire during the Thomas fire on December 7, 2017 in Ojai, California. The Thomas fire has burned over 115,000 acres and has destroyed 439 structures. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)