Heartbreaking images show California wildfires destroying homes leaving nothing but ashes
Ventura, Calif. – Over the past two days, the Mountain Fire in southern California's Ventura County has burned more than 20,000 acres and destroyed dozens of homes.
Photos and videos of the Mountain Fire show hills ablaze and encircled in smoke, as firefighters try to extinguish the flames and keep them from spreading.
As firefighters fought on the ground, aircraft were used to extinguish the flames from the air.
The video below shows a helitanker dropping fire retardant over Camarillo, California , at around 9:22 p.m. on Wednesday, as officials worked around the clock to contain the blaze.
CAL Fire said 14 helicopters were assigned to contain the blaze, with a number of firefighting air tankers from throughout the state of California assisting.
They added that more than 2,400 personnel were working to control the Mountain Fire, including inmate firefighters with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Fenner Canyon Conservation Camp.
As of Friday morning, more than 130 homes were destroyed and over 80 structures had significant damage, according to the Venturay County Fire Department.
The extent of damage could even be seen from space, as shown in the satellite imagery below from a NOAA satellite.
The fire began amid a Santa Ana wind event, in which gusts reaching 50-70 mph created hazardous conditions for a fast-spreading fire.
The looped video below shows palm trees swaying in the wind as smoke from the Mountain Fire billows in the background.
As of Friday, officials and residents are returning to sites destroyed by the flames.
One of whom was Brandon Francis, whose grandmother's house in Camarillo burned in the Mountain Fire. In the photo below, he salvages what he can from the burned remains.
The Mountain Fire is now 7% contained, and the cause is under investigation, according to CAL Fire. They added that there are six injuries.
