A fast-moving brush fire ignited in California’s Ventura County, northwest of Los Angeles, on the morning of November 6, 2024. Dry, warm, and gusty winds known as the Santa Ana helped propel the Mountain fire westward toward neighborhoods, prompting thousands to evacuate.
Smoke from the Mountain fire is visible in this image, acquired by the VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) on the NOAA-20 satellite at 12:50 p.m. local time (20:50 Universal Time) on November 6, 2024. By that time, the fire had burned about 1,500 acres (600 hectares), according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire). As of midday on November 8, Cal Fire noted that the fire had burned about 20,600 acres (8,300 hectares), including structures and homes in the Camarillo Heights and the Camarillo Estates areas.
Santa Ana winds typically occur between September and May when a pressure gradient builds up between the Great Basin to the east and the cool Pacific Ocean to the west. The weather pattern sends gusty, dry winds streaming down the lee side of inland mountain ranges and toward the coast. In autumn, these hot, dry winds can enhance the fire danger across landscapes that are still dry from the summer.
As of November 8, Cal Fire reported that decreasing winds had helped the fire become less extreme, though it continued to threaten infrastructure.
Editors note: This story was updated at 3:20 p.m. Eastern Time on November 8 to include new information about the fire.
References & Resources
- California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (2024, November 7) Mountain Fire. Accessed November 7, 2024.
- CBS News (2024, November 7) Ventura County Mountain Fire forces 10,000 in California to flee as dangerous “environmental recipe” fuels blaze. Accessed November 7, 2024.
- University of California, Los Angeles (2014, May) The Santa Ana Winds FAQ. Accessed November 7, 2024.
NASA Earth Observatory image by Michala Garrison, using VIIRS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE and GIBS/Worldview and the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS). Story by Kathryn Hansen.
