"‘We Barely Escaped’: Californians Rush to Evacuate as Wildfires Devastate Communities".

 "We Barely Escaped": Californians Flee as Wildfires Devastate Communities

Terrie Morin, 60, and her husband, Dave, were at a barber shop on Wednesday morning when they learned of a wildfire rapidly advancing toward their home in Camarillo, California. The couple had two guests staying with them, who were likely still asleep after working late. Morin rushed back, frantically banging on their door to wake them up.

"I was yelling, ‘Grab the dog and get out now! There’s no time!’" she told CNN, recalling the urgency of the moment.

Within ten minutes, sparks were visible in their backyard, and the temperature soared. "It was incredibly hot," Morin described.

A sweeping wildfire tore through Ventura County midweek, burning thousands of acres in mere hours. More than 14,000 evacuation orders were issued as the Mountain Fire, fueled by 60 mph wind gusts, engulfed the region. According to Cal Fire, the blaze had already scorched over 20,485 acres.

Families forced to flee at a moment’s notice faced the loss of their homes and precious belongings, from essentials like medications and clothing to irreplaceable keepsakes and cherished artworks. At least 132 properties were destroyed, with 88 others damaged, as reported by the Ventura County Fire Department. Ten inspection teams have been dispatched to assess the devastation.

Ten people sustained non-life-threatening injuries, mostly due to smoke inhalation, according to Ventura County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff.

A Narrow Escape

When Morin, her husband, and their guests finally evacuated, their property was already surrounded by smoke and flames. In a rush, Morin grabbed her husband’s diabetes medication, her laptop, and a few dresses but had to leave behind other cherished items, including baby clothes from her son’s early years.

The group navigated through thick smoke in their car. "We couldn’t see anything; we were driving blind in the smoke," she said. "Dave was panicking, and I had to take the wheel to keep us moving."

Evacuation Efforts and Stubborn Holdouts

Authorities evacuated 400 homes, while many others had already fled by the time officials arrived. However, about 250 residents chose to stay behind despite the warnings. Ventura County Fire Chief Dustin Gardner expressed concern over such decisions: "People often think they can defend their homes, but when the fire hits, the heat, smoke, and lack of visibility make it impossible. Then, our firefighters have to risk their lives to rescue them."

Some residents, like Steven Snyder, felt safer staying due to fireproof measures in their homes. Snyder watched the flames approach from his window, likening them to "little campfires." By Thursday, the area around his home was scorched, with many of his neighbors’ houses engulfed in flames. Despite the power outage, Snyder's family had sufficient food and water, which they shared with firefighters on the scene.

Battling the Blaze

Fire crews have been relentlessly fighting to contain the Mountain Fire, using helicopters to drop water over the burning landscape. After being at 0% containment for over a day, the fire reached 5% containment by Thursday afternoon. Winds, which initially reached up to 60 mph, had decreased to 30-40 mph by Thursday and were expected to slow further, improving firefighting conditions as humidity increased.

Uncertain Cause and Precautions

While the cause of the Mountain Fire remains unknown, investigators are exploring possible triggers, including downed power lines. As a precaution, Southern California Edison cut power to nearly 70,000 customers on Wednesday night, including over 23,000 in Ventura County, as part of its Public Safety Power Shutoff program.

This wildfire season marks a critical period for California, as dry, windy conditions transform the landscape into a tinderbox, ready to ignite with the slightest spark. The frequency of such extreme fire-weather days has more than doubled since the 1980s due to warmer, drier autumns exacerbated by climate change, according to previous CNN reports.

Contributors: CNN's Taylor Romine, Taylor Galgano, Rebekah Riess, Mary Gilbert, and Robert Shackelford.