A wildfire that damaged and destroyed hundreds of structures in Ventura County was likely caused by wind-whipped debris from an earlier fire that started days earlier, arson investigators announced Friday.

The Mountain Fire started Nov. 6, 2024 and burned nearly 20,000 acres. Nearly 379 structures were damaged or destroyed.

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The destructive wildfire's origin was determined to be a tractor fire that started nearly a week earlier on Oct. 30, 2024 during brush clearance near Balcom Canyon Road and Bixby Road in Somis. The tractor's operator noticed the fire and moved it to an area that had been cleared of brush.

Firefighters held the initial fire, called the Balcom Fire, to about 2 acres using hand tools, a bulld

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