Firefighters Gain Control Over California’s Mountain Fire, Many Evacuees Begin Returning

Los Angeles-(Special Correspondent): By Friday, firefighters had begun to gain control over a stubborn wildfire near Los Angeles, which has destroyed at least 132 buildings and damaged another 88. The progress allowed many of the over 10,000 evacuees to start returning home.

Assisted by cooler winds from the Pacific Ocean, the 2,400 firefighters were able to make headway against the Mountain Fire, which ignited on Wednesday about 50 miles (80 km) northwest of Los Angeles. Previously, hot and dry desert winds had intensified the blaze.

As of Friday, the fire had scorched 20,630 acres (8,350 hectares) but remained nearly unchanged in size over the past 24 hours, with containment increasing from 7% to 14%, according to Cal Fire officials.

“We’ve had no spread or outward movement today, which is fantastic news,” said Ventura County Fire Chief Dustin Gardner.

While evacuation orders were lifted for residents of about 3,500 homes, another 2,000 homes remain under evacuation, said Ventura County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff.

The fire, fueled by dry vegetation and difficult terrain, still poses a risk to critical infrastructure, and isolated fires within the main burn area could continue to smolder.

One evacuee, Dennis Gottlieb of Ventura County, lost his home in the blaze. Waiting at a shelter on Friday morning, he described the surreal scene, explaining how he initially tried to protect his house with garden hoses. “It got very smoky and embers were everywhere,” he said. “It was extremely hot—about 150 degrees (65 C)—so I just grabbed my truck keys.” He and his wife managed to escape, but when Gottlieb returned on Thursday, he found everything destroyed.

As the National Weather Service lifted a red flag warning for the area, wind speeds were expected to drop below 15 miles per hour (24 kph), with increased humidity offering some relief. The intense Santa Ana winds, which earlier in the week gusted between 80 to 100 mph, are expected to stay mild over the weekend, reaching 20-25 mph, said Ariel Cohen, an NWS meteorologist.

However, residents were cautioned that stronger winds might return by Tuesday, with little chance of rain to help subdue the flames.

“The only parts of our home left standing are the chimneys,” Ventura County resident Darren Kettle told the Los Angeles Times. “It’s shocking and traumatic to see it all gone.”

Climate scientists attribute California’s intensifying wildfire seasons to warming temperatures that create wet winters, promoting growth in coastal chaparral areas. This year’s record-high summer temperatures dried out these landscapes, priming them for fire.

The U.S. is facing an intense wildfire season, with 8.1 million acres (3.3 million hectares) burned so far, well above the decade-long average of 7 million acres for a full year, according to National Interagency Fire Center data.

California’s wildfire toll this year has already burned over three times as much land compared to the same period last year, as per Cal Fire reports.

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