LOS ANGELES – A new wildfire broke out in Ventura County late Monday night as thousands of firefighters in California continued their work to extinguish other deadly blazes that have scorched thousands of acres of land in the Los Angeles area since last week.
Fire officials said the Auto Fire ignited near a river in Ventura late Monday night and quickly began to spread before crews could stop the flames from advancing.
The Auto Fire was reported at about 56 acres with 0% containment.
CAL FIRE said some evacuations were ordered, and crews from surrounding communities were able to join in on the fight against the flames to extinguish hotspots and increase containment lines.
“The fire was confined to the river bottom and no structures were threatened,” officials with the Ventura County Fire Department said on X.
This new fire comes as forecasters issued a “Particularly Dangerous Situation” Fire Weather Warning in Southern California due to dry conditions, low relative humidity and the return of dangerous Santa Ana winds.
Officials said at least 24 people have been killed as a result of the wildfires burning in the Los Angeles area, and dozens of people remain missing.
The death toll is expected to rise as investigators continue to search the rubble of burned structures with K9s and cadaver dogs.
“It is a very grim task. And unfortunately, every day we’re doing this, we’re running across the remains of individual community members,” Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said. “That is not easy work.”
Crews from across the U.S. and around the world have gathered in Southern California to join in on the around-the-clock fight against the wildfires that continue to scorch the landscape.
- Cause: Under investigation
- Structures threatened: 12,250
- Structures destroyed: 1,280
Tuesday marks one week since the deadly Palisades and Eaton fires broke out in the Los Angeles area in Southern California.
Since then, thousands of firefighters have been attacking the flames from the ground and the air in a desperate attempt to stop the flames from spreading and destroying countless homes and businesses.
And that fight is far from over.
“(Firefighters) are expecting to see those strong Santa Ana winds pick up again,” FOX News Correspondent Connor Hansen said. “But I can tell you from standing here, it does still feel relatively calm. So, hopefully, they’re still taking advantage of that.”
Officials have been busy pre-deploying resources across the region with the hopes that any new wildfires that do break out could be brought under control quickly before spreading rapidly.
Officials have also been pleading with residents to pay attention to conditions and listen to any and all evacuation warnings if they are issued.
“We are not in the clear,” Los Angeles Fire Chief Kristen Crowley said. “We must not let our guard down as we have, right now, extreme fire behavior. And we need to make sure that the community is staying updated with the most information. Follow all evacuation warnings and orders without delay.”
Crews have been relentlessly attacking the Palisades Fire as the flames continued to destroy home after home over the past week.
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The Palisades Fire is the most destructive wildfire in Los Angeles history.
Tens of thousands of residents have been anxiously awaiting word as to when they can return home, but they will have to wait a bit longer as the wildfire fight continues.
Officials have been asking for patience.
“Those people are saying, ‘I just want to go look at my house and I want to see what’s left.’ We know that. But we have people literally looking for the remains of your neighbors,” Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said. “Please be patient with us. There are a lot of hazards in the area still.”
Crime and drones have also been hindering the response and investigation.
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Illegally flown drones caused issues within the perimeter of the Palisades Fire, and a firefighting aircraft collided with a drone on Thursday, forcing the plane to be grounded due to damage.
That aircraft, known as a “super scooper,” was repaired, and officials said it could return to the sky as soon as Tuesday if the Federal Aviation Administration approves.
Dozens of people have also been arrested, including three for illegal drone use.
Firefighters from the California Conservation Corps work to contain the Eaton Fire in Altadena, California, US, on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. Southern California faces another round of dangerous fire weather set to begin Monday night, even as crews struggle to contain wind-driven blazes that have paralyzed Los Angeles for nearly a week and killed at least 24 people. Photographer: Benjamin Fanjoy/Bloomberg via Getty Images
- Cause: Under investigation
- Structures threatened: 39,428
- Structures destroyed: 2,72
Fire officials say they have made “significant progress” in establishing containment lines along the eastern edge of the Eaton Fire near Santa Anita Canyon.
CAL FIRE said that helicopters flew water-drop missions along the steep, rugged terrain near Mount Wilson, which is inaccessible to firefighters on the ground.
CAL FIRE added that ahead of the anticipated dangerous return of the Santa Ana winds, air tankers flew fire retardant missions along the ridge lines to the west and northwest of the fire.
On Monday night, fire engines, bulldozers and other crews were staged in communities and foothills near Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and are “ready to respond if needed.”
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A plane drops fire retardant during the Eaton Fire near Altadena, California, US, on Monday, Jan. 13, 2025. Southern California faces another round of dangerous fire weather set to begin Monday night, even as crews struggle to contain wind-driven blazes that have paralyzed Los Angeles for nearly a week and killed at least 24 people. Photographer: Benjamin Fanjoy/Bloomberg via Getty Images
In addition, Urban Search and Rescue efforts, infrastructure assessments, hazardous material response and damage assessments are ongoing in communities on the southern edge of the Eaton Fire.
On Monday, a lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court against Southern California Edison Co. alleging the Eaton Fire ignited from SCE’s wires. However, no official cause of the fires has been established.
Los Angeles Police Department Assistant Chief Dominic Choi said the Los Angeles Regional Wildlife Investigative Task Force was established to identify the cause of the fires, but their work is still in the early stages.
“We’re committed to identifying the cause and origin of these fires. And we’re also committed to holding anyone who is responsible for these fires accountable and to further protect the residents of Los Angeles and the city,” Choi said.
The National Weather Service in Los Angeles issued a Particularly Dangerous Situation Fire Weather Warning for much of the Inland Empire and Interstate 5 corridor north of Los Angeles on Tuesday.
The FOX Forecast Center said that strong Santa Ana winds have been ongoing across the region as the long-duration, multi-round fire weather event hits its peak.
For most, the winds are not as strong as they were last week when the infernos began to burn everything in their path. However, they’re still dangerous and could help new or existing fires show erratic behavior and spread rapidly.
This graphic shows the Fire Weather Warnings in effect in Southern California.
Winds are actually stronger in Ventura County than what was experienced last week, however.
The FOX Forecast Center said that in the valleys, northeasterly winds have been sustained between 20 and 35 mph with gusts up to 60 mph.
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A few 70-mph gusts are also possible in parts of the San Gabriel, Santa Susana and western Santa Monica mountains.
The FOX Forecast Center said that there will be occasional lulls in the winds, but any decrease in winds through Tuesday night will be brief.
Fire Weather Warnings that are in effect across much of the region are expected to expire on Wednesday.
Significant weakening of the winds is expected on Thursday as many areas see a shift to onshore winds, which will also bring in some increasing humidity that will aid in the firefight.
Be sure to download the free FOX Weather app and enable notifications to be alerted to new developments with the Auto Fire as well as other fires burning in the Los Angeles area.
Original article source: Auto Fire in Ventura forces evacuations as ‘particularly dangerous’ fire threat returns to Southern California
