VENTURA, Calif. (KABC) — Although shifting winds remain a concern, fire officials struck a note of optimism Monday night in an update on the Mountain fire.

The fire has burned 20,630 acres, destroyed 192 structures and damaged 82 others as of Monday night. No deaths have been reported.

It has also caused more than $6 million in damage to property and agricultural products, including 500 acres of avocado farmland, authorities said.

The fire was listed at 41% containment and firefighters say they did not see the perimeter expand Monday while they kept crews on scene to monitor hot spots and inspect damage.

A National Weather Service meteorologist warned that winds are poised to shift and pick up slightly in the coming days, but it will be nothing like the explosive combination of powerful gusts and dryness that led to the fire’s initial rapid spread last week. .

Humidity is much higher now, said meteorologist Ryan Walbrun, which is a major factor in firefighters’ favor even as winds become gusty.

“It’s not as extreme as last Wednesday,” Walbrun said.

Ventura County Fire Chief Dustin Gardner said firefighters are still on duty 24/7 to monitor hot spots, assess damage and, in particular, be prepared when those winds change.

“I saw several (firefighters) come to breakfast this morning, very dirty. Faces and arms covered in ash. They’re working to fix this,” Gardner said.

He warned residents to expect occasional flashes in addition to large amounts of ash blown by winds.

County Chief Damage Survey Specialist Gene Potkey said 14 survey teams are on the ground looking at every structure within the Mountain Fire perimeter and up to 300 feet outside the perimeter. So far they have carried out 894 inspections and found 620 structures without damage. They had initially thought they would need to inspect about 2,400 structures, but that number is decreasing as they get a more precise survey of the area, with the help of drones and satellite images.

Avocado and citrus crops destroyed

The county’s extensive farmland was also severely affected by the fire.

“Agriculture is extremely important to our county,” said Ventura County Agriculture Commissioner Korinne Bell. “We’re ranked No. 10 in the state. A lot of people think of Ventura County as an urban county. In reality, we’re equally agricultural, equally urban.”

Notably, the county is the state’s top avocado-growing region and lost more than 500 acres of land to avocado farming, the equivalent of about $4 million in lost revenue, Bell said.

The fire also destroyed 130 acres of citrus crops, valued at $1.3 million in revenue, $300,000 in nursery stock, about 10 acres of raspberries and 2,500 acres of grazing land.

Agricultural damage totals $6 million so far, but the county has only completed a quarter of its survey, so that figure will increase substantially, he said.

He encouraged agricultural operators to seek help from the USDA. The county also plans to hold webinars to provide information to farm operators, with the help of some who went through a similar experience seeking help after the devastating Thomas Fire in 2017.