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California Wildfire Continues to Rage Across Ventura County - Earth Networks

Written by Earth Networks Blog | Dec 06, 2017

2017 continues to be a devastating year for wildfires in California.  Powerful Santa Ana winds and a lack of rain and humidity are to blame for the latest outbreak of wildfires in Southern California.

The fires, located primarily in Ventura County, have already burned more than 65,000 acres according to CNN. As of right now, the separate wildfire count is at five. As of Wednesday, December 6, 2017, the fire has reached the Pacific Ocean.

Latest Updates

Fire Weather Warnings are currently in effect along the southwestern coast form the Santa Barbara area to the Mexican Border. These National Weather Service warnings are visible on our Sferic Maps weather visualization software.

Santa Ana winds are expected to pick back up today. Already, our network is observing gusts of 20+ mph along the coast. When the Santa Ana winds pick back up, gusts of 70 mph are likely.

More than 38,000 people in Ventura the city had to evacuate. Officials estimate that 150 buildings in Ventura alone are destroyed. In Los Angeles, Mayor Eric Garcetti said about 150,00 people in Los Angeles were affected by evacuation orders for another fire.

Over 1,100 personnel are working to fight the flames and officials fear the fires could burn for days to come.

According to Southern California Edison, approximately 43,000 homes are without power as of Tuesday night. As the fires continue to spread, more outages are likely. This is because the fires burn power transmission paths.

Wildfire Safety

Wildfires are scary and can be unpredictable. When conditions are right, it’s extremely difficult for firefighters to control the blazes. When a wildfire is in your area, there are a few things you can do to ensure your safety and the safety of the people you love.

  • Stay aware of the latest news and updates from your local media and fire department
  • Be ready to evacuate yourself, your family, and your pets
  • Place emergency supply kit and other valuables in your vehicle
  • Move outdoor furniture as far away from your building as possible
  • Close and protect your building’s openings, including attic and basement doors and vents, windows, and pet doors
  • Fill any pools, hot tubs, tubs, garbage cans, or anything else with water from your garden house. Firefighters can use this to put out fires on rooftops
  • Leave as early as possible
  • Only return when officials say it is safe
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