Ventura County Fire: 115,000 Acres Burned, 5% Contained

MALIBU, CA – A thick, dark blanket of smoke loomed over Ventura County, raining ash and embers down on residents and firefighters as the Thomas Fire continued to wreak havoc on the county. By Thursday evening, the blaze had consumed 115,000 acres, destroyed 427 Ventura structures and damaged at least 85 more, authorities said. Twelve additional structures were destroyed in unincorporated areas of Ventura County, according to Los Angeles Times. The fire is only five percent contained.

A new round mandatory evacuations were ordered by the Ventura County Fire Department Thursday night: Highway 192 on the south, Highway 150 on the east (county line), Santa Monica Road to the west and extending north to East Camino Cielo, Highway 150 from Rincon Hill Road South to the 101, which includes Bates Road and Rincon Point at the south end of Bates.

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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The Ventura County Fire Department released new objectives Wednesday to battle the Thomas Fire, including keeping the fire north of Highway 126, South of Highway 150 – Reeves Road to Hern Canyon Road to Nordhoff Ridge – and keeping the flames East of Highway 101.

One firefighter was injured in the fire as more than 1,000 personnel work to gain ground on the fire being fueled by erratic Santa Ana winds, officials said in a Tuesday press conference. The fast-moving fire forced Gov. Jerry Brown to declare a state of emergency.

"This fire is very dangerous and spreading rapidly, but we'll continue to attack it with all we've got," Brown said in a statement. "It's critical residents stay ready and evacuate immediately if told to do so."

Crews from throughout the state were sent to the region to assist in tackling the fire. From the Bay Area, 10 engines comprising 44 firefighters from Marin County Fire, San Rafael, Ross Valley, and Tiburon left Tuesday morning to help contained the wildfire, Marin County Fire Battalion Chief Bret McTigue said.

Four Alameda County firefighters with Engine 304 and four firefighters from the Mountain View Fire Department who are part of the San Mateo County strike team were also deployed Tuesday morning.

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

Patch editors Ashley Ludwig and Hoa Quach, Associated Press and City News Service contributed to this report; Photo: Firefighters monitor a section of the Thomas Fire along the 101 freeway on December 7, 2017 north of Ventura, California. The firefighters occasionally used a flare device to burn-off brush close to the roadside. Strong Santa Ana winds are rapidly pushing multiple wildfires across the region, expanding across tens of thousands of acres and destroying hundreds of homes and structures. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images/Getty Images North America)