With good weather expected over the weekend and strong winds subsiding, Southern California firefighters on Saturday began putting out wildfires that have destroyed more than 100 structures.
Evacuation orders were downgraded to warnings for residents in several parts of Ventura County, and officials said the wildfire was about 32 square miles (about 83 square kilometers) and 21% contained.
National Weather Service meteorologists said the firefighters were rescued because light winds, mild temperatures and low humidity caused fuel to dry out and burn out quickly.
“We had a very productive day with great weather,” Ventura County Fire Battalion Chief Nick Cleary told reporters.
The fire broke out Wednesday morning and grew to moderate size with dry, warm and gusty northeast Santa Ana winds, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate their homes and spreading fires across suburban neighborhoods, ranches and the Santa Ana. 3,500 buildings in agricultural areas surrounding the area were threatened. Camarillo.
Fire officials announced Saturday that more than 100 buildings had been destroyed and a further 25 damaged, after inspection teams were deployed to assess the impact of the disaster. The Ventura County Star reported that agricultural officials assessed the damage to fields planted with avocados, citrus and berries and estimated the damage at $2.4 million.
