Evacuations ordered as Thomas Fire in Ventura County grows to 10,000 acres
Correction: A dog, not a person, was killed because of the Thomas Fire. Officials had initially confirmed that a person was killed in a crash.
Update 10:55 p.m.
The Ventura County Fire Department confirmed one fatality “associated with this fire from an automobile accident.”
Update 10:45 p.m.
The fire has grown to 10,000 acres, according to the Ventura County Fire Department, and is expected to reach the city of Ventura around 1 a.m.
Update 10:30 p.m.
A major power outage struck the Santa Barbara County South Coast Monday night, possibly related to the wind-whipped wildfire burning near Santa Paula in Ventura County.
Customers were reporting outages from Goleta to Carpinteria, although details were not immediately available from Southern California Edison Co.
Update 9:45 p.m.
The fire has grown to 5,000 acres, according to the Ventura County Fire Department.
It is expected to impact the city of Ventura this evening.
At 9:15 p.m., the fire was moving primarily to the west and southwest, threatening structures in the Adams Canyon and Wheeler Canyon, and Aliso Canyon areas, according to emergency radio traffic.
There were reports of structures burning, and many others were being threatened.
The blaze was at 0 percent containment.
Mandatory and voluntary evacuations were underway in neighborhoods along Highway 150, in the canyons to the west, and north of Santa Paula.
Fire officials were making contingency plans due to concern that the flames could threaten neighborhoods on the eastern edge of the city of Ventura.
The Ventura County Fire Department was requesting help from surrounding firefighting agencies, and numerous strike teams of engines and other resources were on order or en route to the blaze.
Night-flying helicopters were requested from Los Angeles and other agencies, but were being hampered by gusty conditions.
Winds along the ridgetops were estimated at 45-50 mph.
Highway 150 is closed between Denison Grade in Ojai and Stonegate Rd in Santa Paula. Foothills Road is also closed.
A command post and evacuation center were being set up at the Ventura County Fairgrounds at 10 Harbor Blvd. in Ventura.
Original story
A wind-whipped fire in Ventura County rampaged through an estimated 2,500 acres Monday night, and was threatening the city of Santa Paula.
The blaze, which broke out shortly before 7 p.m. in the area of Thomas Aquinas College and Stekel Park, was burning along both sides of Highway 150 north of Santa Barbara.
Flames from what has been dubbed the Thomas Fire were reported spreading in all directions.
There were reports of structures burning, and many others were being threatened.
Mandatory and voluntary evacuations were underway in neighborhoods along Highway 150.
The Ventura County Fire Department was requesting help from surrounding firefighting agencies, and numerous strike teams of engines and other resources were en route to the blaze.
Additional details were not immediately available.
Noozhawk executive editor Tom Bolton can be reached at tbolton@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
This story was originally published December 4, 2017 at 8:35 PM with the headline "Evacuations ordered as Thomas Fire in Ventura County grows to 10,000 acres."