Deputies rescue wheelchair-bound residents as Mountain Fire closes in on home

Multiple elderly, wheelchair-bound individuals were rescued Wednesday afternoon as the fast-moving Mountain Fire surrounded a home in Ventura County.

Video footage captured by Key News Network showed Ventura County Sheriff’s deputies rushing to the scene, just feet from the encroaching flames. Thick smoke filled the air, blotting out the sun, as deputies and caretakers worked quickly to evacuate at least four residents.

The individuals, all in wheelchairs, were safely loaded into awaiting sheriff’s vehicles. Though the exact location was unclear, it appeared to possibly be an assisted living center.

The area had been placed under mandatory evacuation orders due to the raging brush fire, which had already destroyed at least a dozen homes and caused multiple injuries.

The Mountain Fire, which ignited shortly before 9 a.m. near Balcom Canyon Road and Bradley Road, spread rapidly due to dry Santa Ana winds. By 11 a.m., flames had crossed the 118 Freeway and threatened neighborhoods in Camarillo Heights.

Evacuation centers were established at Padre Serra Parish in Camarillo, and facilities for animals were set up at the Ventura County Fairgrounds for large animals and Camarillo Airport for small pets.

Over 140 firefighters are battling the fire under difficult conditions, with limited aerial support, as the blaze continued to grow, leaving emergency responders scrambling to protect lives and property.

For more information on evacuations, visit vcemergency.com or call 805-465-6650.

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