By Kevin Tripp, KABCThe fire broke out Wednesday morning near a homeless encampment, though the ignition source is still being examined by arson investigators. Ventura County Fire Incident Commander Chad Cook says, even before the flames broke out, they knew the weather made a fire likely.
“We were prepared for this. We had several resources on standby, including some of our state cooperators, local agencies that were able to stand up equipment.”
Historically powerful winds and bone dry air fueled the fire. Within minutes, some structures were destroyed. But hundreds of firefighters on the ground and in the air attacked the flames with water and fire retardant, saving entire neighborhoods.