Southern California wildfires fueled by powerful winds destroy homes, force evacuations

Nov. 6 (UPI) - Two fast-moving wildfires in southern California, fueled by powerful Santa Ana winds, have destroyed dozens of homes and forced thousands of residents to evacuate.

The Mountain Fire in Ventura County, northwest of Los Angeles, has injured several people and burned multiple structures , according to the Ventura County Fire Department. The fire has burned an estimated 9,000 acres.

On Wednesday, the National Weather Service issued a red flag warning - the most extreme fire weather warning - across Southwest California through Friday due to the winds.

"Strong winds in the area are contributing to challenging conditions," the fire department wrote Wednesday in a post on X.

"Currently 140 firefighters are on scene, utilizing 58 fire apparatus, with additional helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft requested to assist."