• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechThomas fire

Watch Video of the Ventura County Fire Raging in California

By
Jonathan Vanian
Jonathan Vanian
Down Arrow Button Icon
December 5, 2017, 6:45 PM ET

Raging wildfires are burning across Ventura County in California, destroying at least 150 structures.

The Thomas fire, which began Monday evening near Santa Paula, Calif., has now incinerated about 45,000 acres and led to roughly 27,000 residents to evacuate, as of Tuesday afternoon.

California Gov. Jerry Brown has responded to the wildfire by declaring a state of emergency in Ventura County.

The following videos show some of the damage caused by the Thomas fire.

Fires engulf entire homes

In this video from NBC News, entire homes and neighborhoods are shown in flames. In one scene, a home burns while four palm trees appear to escape the flames for the time being.

Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in Ventura County because of the fire. https://t.co/4hBdqpG1xFpic.twitter.com/JJuTWGKl38

— NBC Bay Area (@nbcbayarea) December 5, 2017

People flee in their cars

A distraught woman took footage of people driving away from her neighborhood as the fire burns in the distance.

“You can see the flames,” she says as an ominous red and orange glow looms in the background. However, the footage doesn’t show the fire’s smoke, which she said is “coming from right over the hills.”

This is horrifying#ThomasFire#VenturaCounty#VenturaCalifornia#Tragedy#Devastation#VenturaFirepic.twitter.com/13uhfQVKEU

— Jennafer Cady (@jennafercady71) December 5, 2017

An apartment building in flames

CNN correspondent Sara Sidner shared via video on Twitter of the flames ravaging a hillside apartment complex. “Helpless residents watch praying their home covered in smoke is not next,” she wrote.

Flames devour an apartment building and other homes as winds send embers flying across the street. #VenturaFire Helpless residents watch praying their home covered in smoke is not next pic.twitter.com/ra4sw7PLQf

— Sara Sidner (@sarasidnerCNN) December 5, 2017

The hills are on fire

A Twitter user captured footage of the Ventura fire burning on a nearby hill. Rising smoke gives the appearance that a volcano just erupted.

https://twitter.com/davevebber/status/938139291569369088

Fire truck drives by the flames

In this video captured by local ABC News reporter Rob Hayes, a fire truck drives past a burning building.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter.

It’s not very often you see #firefighters drive PAST a #fire. Too many homes on fire in #Ventura. 150+ structures lost. pic.twitter.com/G7FYxNdZsz

— Rob Hayes (@abc7robhayes) December 5, 2017

Aerial footage of the flames

A local ABC meteorologist shared aerial footage of the wildfire. There’s so much smoke in the air, it looks like the helicopter was flying through a hurricane.

Look at all that smoke! My friend flew over Ventura…check out that view of the #thomasfire! Thankfully, her husband (the pilot) is a Fire Captain so knows how to stay safe. pic.twitter.com/3hJWW7iV7f

— Kimi Evans (@kimievansmedia) December 5, 2017

About the Author
By Jonathan Vanian
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Jonathan Vanian is a former Fortune reporter. He covered business technology, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, data privacy, and other topics.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Success
'I had to take 60 meetings': Jeff Bezos says 'the hardest thing I've ever done' was raising the first million dollars of seed capital for Amazon
By Dave SmithDecember 15, 2025
21 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Meetings are not work, says Southwest Airlines CEO—and he’s taking action, by blocking his calendar every afternoon from Wednesday to Friday 
By Preston ForeDecember 15, 2025
23 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Sorry, six-figure earners: Elon Musk says that money will 'disappear' in the future as AI makes work (and salaries) irrelevant
By Orianna Rosa RoyleDecember 15, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Monday, December 15, 2025
By Joseph HostetlerDecember 15, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
AI
Deloitte's CTO on a stunning AI transformation stat: Companies are spending 93% on tech and only 7% on people
By Nick LichtenbergDecember 15, 2025
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
North America
Ford writes down $19.5 billion as it pivots electric Lighting line of vehicles
By Sasha RogelbergDecember 15, 2025
17 hours ago

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.


Latest in Tech

InnovationTesla
An MIT roboticist who cofounded bankrupt Roomba maker iRobot says Elon Musk’s vision of humanoid robot assistants is ‘pure fantasy thinking’
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezDecember 16, 2025
26 minutes ago
PoliticsiRobot
Roomba bites the dust: iRobot files for bankruptcy, but don’t worry—your robot vacuum should still work
By Molly Liebergall and Morning BrewDecember 16, 2025
2 hours ago
Justina
Future of Workskills
Can’t get a job? Blame AI? Train in ‘power skills,’ IBM exec says: ‘You can’t hire a college student now to just come in and create a spreadsheet’
By Nick LichtenbergDecember 16, 2025
2 hours ago
NewslettersTerm Sheet
Valerie Health raises $30 million Series A to scale “AI front offices” for physicians
By Allie GarfinkleDecember 16, 2025
3 hours ago
InvestingStock
Global selloff in stocks signals AI bubble may be ending in the healthiest way possible
By Jim EdwardsDecember 16, 2025
3 hours ago
A Ford F-150 Lightning on sale at a Chicago dealership on December 15, 2025. (Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images)
NewslettersFortune Tech
Ford takes a $19.5 billion hit as EV demand drops
By Andrew NuscaDecember 16, 2025
4 hours ago