California wildfire fueled by high winds grows to over 14,000 acres and forces evacuations [Video]

A fast-moving wildfire erupted in Southern California on Wednesday, destroying homes and sending firefighters rushing to get residents out of homes and to safety, officials said.

The Mountain Fire in Ventura County prompted evacuation orders and grew to over 14,000 acres, fueled by what fire officials called a significant Santa Ana wind event.

Firefighters at the scene of the brush fire, which broke out between the communities of Moorpark and Somis, “were faced with a tough firefight,” Ventura County Fire Capt. Trevor Johnson said.

“Firefighters were right off the bat engaged in pulling people out of their houses and saving lives,” Johnson said.

The fire was moving so fast that firefighters drove residents out of the area in fire engines because of the danger, he said.

The fire department did not have a count for the number of destroyed structures.

The fire began at 8:51 a.m. local time, said the California …