The fire that’s consumed several homes in Ventura County and forced residents to vacate their properties has been contained by 26%, firefighters announced Sunday morning. The Mountain Fire, which swelled to more than 20,

The Mountain Fire has been burning under dangerous conditions, prompting mandatory evacuations across southern California. As of Thursday night, this fire has now burned over 20k+ acres and has threatened numerous structures,

Menlo Park Fire Chief Mark Lorenzen, who spent a decade as the chief in Ventura County, said firefighters prioritize evacuations before defending structures. It used to be that there was more time to extinguish a fire before it became life-threatening, he said.