“There were burning pieces falling around. Everything was lost and burned.”

The fire in Ventura County, California, in the western US, broke out on Wednesday for unknown reasons. The fire, called the Mountain Fire, spread rapidly due to strong winds. Firefighters managed to make progress: the area covered increased from seven percent to 14 percent.

The services hope that after the wind dies down, firefighters will be able to slow down the spread of the fire. So far, the element has consumed over 8,000 hectares of land and destroyed about 130 buildings. Local authorities decided to evacuate over 10,000 residents.

On Friday, Ventura County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff said residents of 3,500 homes were allowed to return home, but another 2,000 homes were still under evacuation orders.

The devastating power of the fire was experienced by many people who lost all their belongings in the disaster. Some miraculously managed to avoid death.

– Suddenly the smoke became very thick and glowing pieces were falling around […]. It was hot, very hot, about 65 degrees Celsius. I took the keys to the truck, said Dennis Gottlieb, one of the Ventura County residents who fled from his property with his wife. When he returned to the site on Thursday, he found the fire merciless.

– Everything was lost and burned – he added.

California firefighters reported that over 2,400 people, including 14 helicopters, were involved in fighting the Mountain Fire.

The fire is also burning areas on the other side of the United States. According to Reuters, after one of the driest months on record, fires broke out in several counties in the south and central New Jersey in the eastern US. The National Weather Service has issued a warning for the area due to high winds that could worsen the situation.

New York authorities issued smoke warnings for residents.