Firefighters struggled Thursday to contain a fast-moving wildfire in Ventura County that had destroyed scores of homes. The dangerous winds fanning these flames were expected to continue through Friday.

Extreme Santa Ana winds helped fuel several fires in the region, but the Mountain Fire exploded Wednesday and spread to communities in the foothills around Camarillo and Moorpark.

According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, the fire was at 14,104 acres as of Thursday morning without any containment by firefighters.

It remains unclear how many homes were lost, but the destruction was evident in the hillside streets, where the burned husks of structures smoldered.

Residents hug each other as they stand in front of a burned-out home on Old Coach Drive in Camarillo.

(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

The National Weather Service issued a red flag warning of an “extremely hazardous situation” on Wednesday, warning of “widespread, extreme fire conditions” in southwestern California. The alert in the Los Angeles area has not been raised to that level since 2020.

But as of Thursday morning, forecasters were predicting slightly better conditions for the mountain fire compared to the day before, with winds expected “not to be as strong as Wednesday and to decrease more quickly in the afternoon.”

Still, winds pushing the fire southwest could sustain speeds of 50 to 90 mph Thursday with gusts as high as 100 mph in wind-prone mountainous locations, Ventura County emergency officials warned.

Firefighters reported seeing embers starting new fires two and a half miles ahead of the main fire line during Wednesday’s battle.

The wildfire threatened 3,500 homes and other structures and forced the evacuation of more than 10,000 people, according to Gov. Gavin Newsom, who said federal funds had been secured to help fight the blaze.

Southern California Edison began turning off power to customers in areas where the equipment was at high risk of starting a wildfire.

A Camarillo home is engulfed in flames Wednesday amid the wind-driven Mountain Fire.

(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)

Nearly 70,000 utility customers across the Southland were experiencing power outages as of Thursday morning “due to an increased risk of wildfires,” the utility said. About a third of the shutoffs occurred in Ventura County, but power was also cut in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, Ventura and Orange counties. Another 257,000 people were eligible for safety closures in those areas through Thursday, as were customers in Santa Barbara and Tulare counties, SCE reported.

The majority of the National Weather Service’s red flag and high wind warnings in the region were set to expire Thursday evening, but a standard red flag warning would remain in effect through Friday morning for the Ventura County mountains, the Interstate 5 corridor and the The Mountains from San Gabriel and Santa Monica.

Santa Barbara County Fire Capt. Hugh Montgomery said his crews successfully recovered a dozen burning homes in the Camarillo hills, but not without problems.

The Mountain Fire destroyed homes on both sides of Old Coach Drive in Camarillo.

(Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times)

“We were in a building fire and were starting to make good progress when the hydrants went dry,” he said. “I think everything is so depleted because everyone is draining the water system.

“It’s very unfortunate that people are losing homes and their belongings,” he added, “but from what we’ve heard, people are coming out safely, and that’s the most important thing.”

Thousands were evacuated as firefighters struggled to extinguish the flames.

(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Red Cross volunteers set up cots and tables as the organization began converting the temporary evacuation center in Padre Serra parish into a night shelter. The Salvation Army arrived with hot meals.

The center opened at 10:30 am. By late afternoon, about a hundred evacuees had taken refuge.

Some arrived with minor burns suffered during the evacuation, said Dave Wagner, a public affairs volunteer with the Red Cross. Many at the shelter sought shelter with friends or family or in nearby hotels, with limited success. About 90 people were expected to spend the night there, hoping to return home on Thursday.

Linda Elmo, an evacuee, said the flames moved so quickly that she and her husband had little time to flee. A firefighter knocked on the door and urged her and her husband to “go, go, go!”

“It happened so quickly,” Elmo said.

Local authorities have issued air quality warnings for much of Ventura and Los Angeles counties due to smoke and ash from the Mountain Fire.

Times writers Grace Toohey and Noah Goldberg contributed to this report.