From Castro Peak in the Santa Monica Mountains, the sun is beginning to set when a small bright light emerges far in the distance. The tiny speck, barely noticeable, marks the beginning of another massive California wildfire.
Within seconds — fanned by strong Santa Ana winds — the fire explodes, sending up massive flames and a plume of dark smoke that quickly blanketed small the agricultural towns just south of Santa Paula.
Thursday’s ignition of the Maria fire in Ventura County was captured by a camera from the ALERT Wildfire program, an effort by three universities — UC San Diego, the University of Nevada and the University of Oregon — to help firefighters investigate the origins of fires and their behavior. The program is funded by utility companies throughout California, including Southern California Edison.
The camera, mounted atop the peak of the Santa Monica Mountains, recorded the fire’s first moments after it broke out on South Mountain about 6:16 p.m. Thursday and quickly began burning toward Somis and Saticoy, forcing more than 1,000 residents to flee.
1/14
A view of the Maria fire from Santa Paula on Thursday night. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
2/14
Firefighters work to control flames from a backfire during the Maria fire in Santa Paula. (Josh Edelson / AFP via Getty Images)
3/14
A firefighter works at containing the Maria fire spreading in Santa Paula. (Etienne Laurent / EPA/REX/Shutterstock)
4/14
Firefighters work to control flames from a backfire during the Maria fire in Santa Paula. (Josh Edelson / AFP/Getty Images)
5/14
This remote-camera photo posted on the Ventura County Fire Department’s Twitter page shows the beginning of the Maria fire at an antenna farm atop South Mountain near Santa Paula. (Associated Press)
6/14
There was one silver lining — the fire broke out when winds were easing. Had this area ignited just 24 hours earlier, “we’d be talking about 50 mph to 60 mph winds, and that’s a whole different ballpark,” a fire official said. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
7/14
A helicopter flies over the Maria fire in Santa Paula on Friday. Authorities issued mandatory evacuations for a swath of homes on Thursday night. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
8/14
Firefighters spray water on a backfire while battling the Maria fire early Friday. Ventura County is already dealing with the Easy fire, which started Wednesday. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
9/14
The Maria fire broke out as crews continue to battle multiple fires across Southern California. (Marcus Yam/ Los Angeles Times )
10/14
Firefighters monitor a backburn as they work on the Maria fire in Santa Paula on Friday. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
11/14
Onlookers gaze at the Maria fire on Thursday night. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
12/14
By early Friday, the Maria fire had grown to more than 8,000 acres. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
13/14
Firefighters confer near the Maria fire on Friday morning. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
14/14
Others get a unique look at the Maria fire on Thursday night. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
The Times is offering fire coverage for free today. Please consider a subscription to support our journalism.
Studying the footage helps firefighters develop a strategy as they battle wildfires and help residents evacuate, Neal Driscoll, a professor of geology and geoscience at UC San Diego, told The Times last week.
“Our whole goal is to save lives, minimize burning of wildland and [save] habitats,” he said. “First responders and Cal Fire have password-encrypted rights to get on the cameras” through their cellphones.
By 7 a.m. Friday, the Maria fire had grown to 8,730 acres and had already burned two structures, including a home. At the tail end of a strong Santa Ana wind event, firefighters have struggled to gain control of the blaze, which remained 0% contained nearly 18 hours after it ignited.
Though strong winds have complicated the fight, the blaze broke out high on the ridge so it gave authorities time to conduct evacuations before the flames moved down the mountain and into residential areas, said Ventura Assistant Fire Chief John McNeil.
McNeil said the location of the Maria fire means it probably will run out of fuel to burn once it reaches more manicured landscapes at the bottom of the hill.
More than 500 firefighters battling the blaze took advantage of lighter winds overnight and early Friday, using a helicopter with night-flying capabilities and ground crews in an effort to protect nearby homes and avocado and citrus orchards, Ventura County Fire Capt. Brian McGrath said.
“The winds have died down and the cold temperatures have reduced the fire’s ability to aggressively run downhill,” McGrath said. “Today we’re going to see what the sun looks like on it and see what the normal onshore breeze is going to do for us.”
Times staff writer Alejandra Reyes-Velarde contributed to this report.