Firefighters continue to make progress in battle against Mountain fire in Ventura County

Firefighters continued making progress Sunday against the destructive Mountain fire in Ventura County. The blaze, which has burned more than 20,000 acres and destroyed 134 structures, was about 26% contained early Sunday as firefighters continued mopping up hot spots before winds were expected to pick up again Monday night, authorities said.

Ten areas remained under evacuation orders Sunday, including neighborhoods around Santa Paula and Somis. An additional eight were under evacuation warnings, where residents were asked to prepare for a potential evacuation. Up-to-date information on evacuations was available at the Ventura County Sheriff Emergency Services Incident Dashboard.

"The impact on our community is profound and we are working tirelessly alongside firefighters from Ventura County and neighboring areas along with a vast amount of emergency services to bring this fire under control," Capt. William Hutton, of the Ventura County Sheriff's Department, said during a Saturday evening news conference.

Light winds coming from the ocean and favorable humidity levels Sunday helped authorities in the effort to contain the fire, which started Wednesday morning amid an extreme Santa Ana wind event. The blaze led thousands to evacuate and upended the lives of residents across a number of communities. The cause is still under investigation.

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