Mountain Fire in Ventura County nears full containment

VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. - The Mountain Fire in Ventura County, which broke out Nov. 6 near Somis, is nearly contained, but the region isn't completely out of the woods just yet. 

Warmer temperatures and Santa Ana winds are expected to return Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.  

"The gusty Santa Ana winds will likely bring low humidities in the 5% to 15% range during this period ... with temperatures rising into the 70s and 80s," the weather service wrote in its latest forecast.. "As a result, there is still the potential for critical fire weather conditions across portions of Los Angeles and Ventura counties sometime between Tuesday and Thursday."

At last check, the fire had scorched 19,904 acres and is 95% contained.

Last week, a community meeting was held for residents impacted by the fire. They were offered resources from local, state, and federal officials as they go through the rebuilding process.

According to Cal Fire, 127 structures are damaged, 243 structures are destroyed, and 6 injuries have been reported.

Evacuation warnings

• Zone 1C
• Zone 11D
• Zone 12E
• Zone 9B
• Zone 8B

Evacuation shelters

• Large animals: Ventura County Fairgrounds, 10 E. Harbor Blvd. in Ventura
• Small animals: Ventura County Animal Services (Camarillo Airport), 600

Road closures

• Valley Vista Dr/Vista Del Mar
• Valley Vista Dr/Marine View Dr
• Valley Vista Dr/Fairway Dr
• Valley Vista Dr/Deseo Ave
• West Highland Dr/Mission Dr
• Highland Terrace/Mission Dr
• Santa Cruz Way/Mission Dr
• Marissa Lane/Mission Dr
• San Clemente Way/Mission Dr
• East Highland Dr/North Loop Dr

School closures

All Ventura County schools that were impacted by the Mountain Fire are operating normally. 

Fire information hotline

Those with questions can call 805-465-6650.

Federal assistance

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced last week that the state had secured a Fire Management Assistance Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help with the firefight. Additionally, a state of emergency has been proclaimed in Ventura County. 

What caused the fire?

An investigation unit has been assigned to determine the cause of the fire.

Previous fires in same area

Wednesday’s wildfires burned in the same areas of other recent destructive infernos, including the 2018 Woolsey Fire, which killed three people and destroyed 1,600 homes near Los Angeles, and the 2017 Thomas Fire, which burned more than a thousand homes and other structures in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. 

Southern California Edison has paid tens of millions of dollars to settle claims after its equipment was blamed for both fires.