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A fast-moving fire that broke out on Halloween night in Ventura County exploded overnight, growing to nearly 9,000 acres by Friday morning. The Maria Fire prompted mandatory evacuations affecting roughly 10,800 people, and many nearby school districts canceled classes for the day.
The fire is burning in a mountain area between Santa Paula and Somis, a ranching and farming community. The fight against the blaze was hampered late Thursday when authorities grounded air support for the fire after a drone was discovered flying in the fire zone.
In a noon press briefing Friday, Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub said an investigation is underway into the illegal drone incident. No arrests have been made, but whoever was flying it could face state and federal charges, Ayub said.
In better news, Ventura County Fire Department officials said they did not believe the Maria Fire would grow as large as 2017's Thomas Fire that burned for nearly 40 days and ate throughabout 282,000 acres -- or 440 square miles.
The Maria Fire started just after 6 p.m. on the upper ridge of South Mountain and authorities warned that the fire was spreading rapidly. It was still 0% contained as of Friday evening, but growth was slowed. As of Friday evening, the size of the fire was still being held below 9,500 acres.
Based on the fire's location, authorities initially believed the fire will run out of fuel at some point, burning at most about 12,000 acres.
VCFD officials later reported a shift in the wind had pushed flames on the north edge of the fire downhill into the Santa Clara River bed in the Santa Paula area, threatening nearby homes and reportedly burning at least one structure in the area. Firefighters were on the ground and in the air to tackle the flames.
Firefighters were working to protect "critical infrastructure" in the area, which includes radio communication towers that emergency agencies rely on, as well as high voltage power lines and oil fields.
The fire is also impacting local crops -- including avocado and citrus orchards -- in the agricultural areas of Somis, Santa Paula, Camarillo and east Ventura.
The Todd Road Jail Facility was closed due to the fire, and visiting hours were suspended until further notice. Inmates and staff were sheltering in place and air quality was good inside the facility, Ayub said.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
THE BASICS
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WEATHER CONDITIONS
Crews continue to work amid dangerous weather conditions. A red flag warning was extended through 6 p.m. Saturday, with wind gusts expected up to 35 mph and single-digit humidity, according to the National Weather Service.
The areas under advisory include the L.A. and Ventura mountains, Santa Clarita Valley and Ventura County valley.
Red Flag Warnings extended through 6 PM Sat for LA/Ventura mtns, Santa Clarita Valley, and Ventura County Valleys (including #MariaFire). Northeast winds gusting 25-35 mph with single digit RH's to continue at times through Sat. #LAWeather #cawx #Socal pic.twitter.com/LXTUaZTCbk
— NWS Los Angeles (@NWSLosAngeles) November 2, 2019
Time lapse video obtained by LAist shows how the wind-driven fire spread from the upper ridge of South Mountain and burned downhill on the Santa Paula side.
WATCH: This time lapse from fire cameras in the South Mountain area captured the spread of the #MariaFire overnight Thursday and into Friday between Santa Paula and Somis. (🎥: Courtesy https://t.co/qEwnGjZ76L)
— LAist (@LAist) November 1, 2019
For the latest on the fire: https://t.co/OsBQTq5FSt pic.twitter.com/FmNTl8kNsY
EVACUATIONS
Mandatory evacuation orders are in effect in the following area:
Santa Paula:
ROAD CLOSURES
EVACUATION CENTERS
For people:
For animals:
Ventura County is also distributing N-95 masks at several locations in Santa Paula, Camarillo, Oxnard and Ventura. The full list of locations is available at vcemergency.com.
RELATED: California Fires Are Getting Worse. What's Going On?
SCENES ON THE GROUND
Our firefighters are not only continuing to fight the #MariaFire, but also working hard to protect orchards and save the wildlife. https://t.co/5wC1jn4Pw6 @VCFD pic.twitter.com/GvjByIOWvJ
— VCFD PIO (@VCFD_PIO) November 1, 2019
Firefighters from multiple agencies are working hard to protect the orchards and structures from a fast moving and unpredictable #MariaFire. @CAL_FIRE @VCFD @VENTURASHERIFF pic.twitter.com/4zKuxc1Jkn
— VCFD PIO (@VCFD_PIO) November 1, 2019
#MariaFire Crews are responding to a brush fire on the top of South Mountain, just South of Santa Paula. pic.twitter.com/ZHeiyZ8xQX
— VCFD PIO (@VCFD_PIO) November 1, 2019
#MariaFire; Has grown to 8,060 acres. The winds have subsided a bit and the cold temperatures have reduced the fires ability to aggressively run down hill. Ground and air resources are strategically attacking the perimeter. pic.twitter.com/LWRjZDxsZW
— VCFD PIO (@VCFD_PIO) November 1, 2019
In an orchard at the #MariaFire. Was told by Hector, the irrigation manager, that some avocado trees had burned down last night. There was a huge group of workers ready to go in and repair/adjust irrigation lines as the fire progressed away from the bulk of the property. pic.twitter.com/UoxiIXgYc4
— Jacob Margolis (@JacobMargolis) November 1, 2019
SCHOOL CLOSURES
School Districts
Charter Schools
HOW WE'RE REPORTING ON THIS
Jacob Margolis is reporting from the fire zone. KPCC news producers Emily Henderson and Briana Flores are reporting from the station. Ryan Fonseca is keeping this story updated.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
For the latest information straight from local emergency officials, check the following websites and social media accounts:
FIRE RESOURCES
NOTE: This developing story will be updated frequently.
Clarification: An earlier version of this story was out of line with the official acreage figure, because it was based on information provided in the Ventura County Emergency Operations Center incident map that officials later said was inaccurate. Keep in mind that information can change quickly as the situation changes on the ground and better data becomes available.
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