The Mountain fire has become the third most destructive wildfire in Southern California since 2013, destroying 243 buildings and significantly impacting nearby communities.
According to Ariel Cohen, lead meteorologist at the National Weather Service, 'This was definitely an area with very high vulnerability... that's been able to grow a lot of that vegetation, brush, grasses, that ends up being the base for fires to very efficiently spread.'
The area recently suffered from low rainfall followed by extreme vegetation growth. Cohen noted, 'Coming out of two water years of 150 to 200% of normal percent precipitation... that ends up being the base for fires to very efficiently spread.'
Southern Ventura County has a history of severe wildfires, as noted with the 2017 Thomas fire... Unlike the chaparral ecosystem that evolved to withstand fires, repeat burns can allow invasive species to thrive.
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