Northern California crews respond to help with fast-moving Mountain Fire in Southern California
AUBURN — Fire season remains in full swing as gusty winds of up to 60 miles per hour are fueling a fast-moving wildfire in Southern California.
The Mountain Fire has scorched thousands of acres in Ventura County and is burning homes and businesses near Camarillo.
The fire prompted a massive response from crews across the state, including five strike teams out of Auburn in Placer County.
"The whole state of California, even though we've had a little bit of precipitation, is still in prime burning conditions still. That, compiled with the wind event they're having down there that's supposed to last until Friday, is a recipe for absolute disaster," Cal Fire Battalion Chief Nick Salas said.
Cal Fire's Nevada-Yuba-Placer Unit is deploying five engines and about 20 crew members to assist.
"A fire to grow as rapidly as fast as the Mountain Fire has progressed is pretty extreme," Chief Salas said.
It comes as parts of the Sacramento Valley also saw gusty winds Wednesday with red flag conditions and high fire danger sparking a word of caution to residents in high-fire-risk areas.
"We are definitely not out of the weeds yet in terms of fire season," Chief Salas said.
On Wednesday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that the state had secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant from FEMA to support the response to the Mountain Fire.
Newsom issued a statement saying:
"This is a dangerous fire that's spreading quickly and threatening lives. State resources have been mobilized to protect communities, and this federal support from the Biden-Harris Administration will give state and local firefighters the resources they need to save lives and property as they continue battling this aggressive fire."