As the mountain fire The devastating fire that ripped through Ventura County neighborhoods Wednesday injured several people and burned homes while residents of Camarillo and Moorpark fled for their lives.

“We have never seen anything like this before. I never thought something like this would happen to us,” said Ken Levin, who lives near the Spanish Hills area and was evacuated. He said firefighters were battling the large fire in an area behind his home. “Thank God for our firefighters who are here to help us when we need them.”

As he watched the flames sweep over a nearby hill, he said he was just grateful that he and his wife were OK. She had left her home earlier in the day. “I live. My wife is alive. We have everything we need. This can be replaced,” he said.

According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire), the wildfire had burned more than 10,400 acres within five hours of first sparking near Moorpark just before 9 a.m. According to the Ventura County Fire Department, life-saving measures were the main priority of responders on scene.

“Firefighters have been busy since the beginning getting people out of their homes and saving lives,” Ventura County Fire Capt. Trevor Johnson said as he spoke to reporters during a news conference at 3 p.m.

Some Ventura County residents described trying to get their friends and family members out and help them pack their belongings as they fled.

In Camarillo, Cindi Hitt went to her friend's house and helped her quickly escape. She gathered her belongings, along with her dog and a dress she plans to wear to her daughter's wedding.

“She was so unsettled. “She couldn’t really tell me what I should get and I was confused,” Hitt said. “Then I realized I couldn’t stay there any longer. It was just time to go.”

When she tried to leave, Hitt said she was almost unable to drive away.

“My car got stuck right next to where the flames were,” she said. “The firefighters were right there. They were so helpful.”

Firefighters managed to get Hitt's car moving and she was able to leave. However, she is urging other people in the area to leave as quickly as possible, saying she knows nothing about the mandatory evacuations because she doesn't live there.

“It was very scary. All I can tell you is don’t wait,” Hitt said.

On Tuesday, National Weather Service Los Angeles announced a “particularly dangerous situation”. Red Flag Warning for the coming days, a rare weather advisory typically issued every few years that carries a higher risk than regular Red Flag warnings. Devon Davis, who lives near the Spanish Hills area, said he heard about the warning and tried to prepare.

“This was a totally could-happen scenario,” Davis said of the massive mountain fire. “But we see it happening today.”

As the wildfire grew throughout the morning, he went to his aunt's home in Camarillo Heights, a particularly hard-hit area that Gov. Gavin Newsom said is being monitored by state officials as they work with local authorities.

“But she got out. She is safe and with us now,” Davis said, adding that his family managed to help his grandmother evacuate from her home in Spanish Hills. “We just traveled, tried to find friends and relatives – just organized and left quickly.”

“It’s a scramble,” he said.