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MILLE CHENES, Calif. (KABC) –
One of two wind-blown wildfires that erupted Thursday in Ventura County exploded to over 30,000 acres, while the winds were even stronger on Friday morning. About 75,000 homes are under evacuation along the Ventura County-Los Angeles County border.
WATCH LIVE: Woolsey Fire Cover by ABC7
The fire, which was moving rapidly, took Highway 101 Freeway to Chesebro Road at approximately 5:15 am and was established on the south side of the highway, according to the Ventura County Fire Department. The jump forced the highway to close in both directions on Liberty Canyon Road, while about 3 acres burned and climbed uphill, according to the California Highway Patrol.
The fire, dubbed the Woolsey Fire, began in Simi Valley, near the Rocketdyne factory on the Santa Susana Pass.
By the early morning of Friday, the fire had reached 8,000 acres with 0% control. Later in the morning, fire officials said the fire had reached more than 10,000 hectares. Several structures are damaged and destroyed, according to Erik Scott, information officer of the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Of the homes destroyed by the fire, several were in the Oak Park area.
About 75,000 homes were forced to evacuate just for the Woolsey fire, Scott said. No injuries were reported.
Ventura County Fire Department officials issued mandatory evacuation orders in several areas. Some of these areas include Saddlebow between Maverick Lane and Morgan Road in Bell Canyon, north of Highway 101, south of Bell Canyon Road, west of Valley Circle, east of Freeway, north of Kanan Road and west of Lindero Canyon to 23 Freeway, extending north of Sunset Hills Boulevard and along Erbes Road to Olson Road. The evacuations also involve the north of Sunset Hills Boulevard, the south of Olson Road and the west of Highway 23. South of Highway 101 and north of Mulholland Highway are also included in the orders of 39. evacuation, as well as west of Las Virgenes Road and east of Westlake Boulevard. Mandatory evacuations are also in effect in the Malibu Canyon area, the Agoura Hills, the Calabasas and the village of Westlake.
TO BE FOLLOWED: Complete list of evacuations and closures of roads during fires in Ventura County
Detailed information on fires and shelters is available at the following address: www.vcemergency.com.
Destructive flames tear through neighborhoods as wind gusts reach 30 and 40 mph. Strong winds are expected to decrease between 10am and noon.
A second fire in the Santa Rosa Valley east of Camarillo, west of Simi Valley, near Newbury Park and Thousand Oaks, was a few kilometers from the scene of a deadly shootout that cost the lives of 12 people Wednesday night.
Dubbed the hill fire, Ventura County Fire Department officials said the fire was covering 6,000 acres with a 0% containment rate as of Friday morning.
Authorities initially estimated the size of the fire to more than 15,000 acres, but the authorities then downgraded the size of the fire.
Structures were seen burning air like a row of flames closed in a large residential area near Old Conejo Road.
Mandatory evacuations have been issued for the Cal State Channel Islands, Vallecito mobile home park and the Camarillo Springs and Dos Vientos areas, authorities said. The naval base at Point Magu was under voluntary evacuation.
Firefighters estimated that 1,200 homes had been evacuated in the Camarillo Springs and Dos Vientos areas.
TO BE FOLLOWED: Complete list of evacuations and closures of roads during fires in Ventura County
Hundreds of Ventura County firefighters and eight tankers fought the flames on the ground and from above.
Clouds of thick white smoke could be seen rising above the burn site as strong winds from Santa Ana pushed the flames under red flag conditions.
The cause of the fires remains under study.
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