Camarillo Airport Plays Vital Role in Fighting Mountain Fire

Widespread blaze began on Wednesday morning and quickly grew, pushed by Santa Ana winds.

Thursday, November 07, 2024 at 04:50 PM ET

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The Mountain Fire prompted a Temporary Flight Restriction (TRF) and Camarillo Airport (KCMA) in Ventura County, California, will be closed to nonemergency aircraft through November 13. [Courtesy: Ventura County]

Key Takeaways:

Camarillo Airport (KCMA) is serving as a crucial operational base for aerial firefighting efforts against the Mountain Fire, housing up to 28 aircraft and implementing a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) that closes it to non-emergency traffic until at least November 13.
The Mountain Fire remains 0% contained and unpredictable, actively burning with strong Santa Ana winds posing significant challenges, including reduced visibility for flight crews due to smoke.
Multiple government agencies are involved in combating the blaze, which has prompted over 14,000 evacuation notices and resulted in structural losses, though no injuries have been reported.

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Camarillo Airport (KCMA) in Ventura County, California, is playing a vital role in the efforts to extinguish the Mountain Fire. The wildfire began on Wednesday morning and quickly grew, pushed by Santa Ana winds.

The airport is being used as a base for the aerial defense aircraft, which may increase to 28 in all by this evening, according to Ventura County spokesperson Jannette Jauregui.

Meg Godlewski

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.