People began to venture out on Friday as the smoke cleared slightly. They streamed into the post office, a few open restaurants and supermarkets, donning masks. Bart’s Books, where shelves lining the exterior of the store have titles like “Conversations with God” and “Where Do Bastards Go to Die,” was closed. But you could still pick up a book and throw coins in a slot in the door for the amount marked on the book.

“To see my most beloved place on the planet broken like this is heartbreaking,” said Robert Lamarche, who makes “wearable art masks” and hand-sews Renaissance-period costumes.

Mr. Lamarche, a Canadian artist with a Santa Claus beard, settled here 20 years ago and said he was received with “open hearts and arms” by gallery owners. His house in the mountains was not damaged but the power was still out. Just five minutes down the road, gutted homes and cars looked like something out of a “Terminator” movie.

Mr. Lamarche and others knew that even if their homes were standing, they were savoring a false sense of security, because the Santa Ana winds were expected to intensify on Sunday and could bring more havoc to the heart of Ojai.

“These are the worst fires I’ve ever seen in December,” said Jake Portillo, captain of a team of firefighters from Corona, in Riverside County, which had come to the aid of local crews. He said his team had battled blazes where entire blocks of homes had been decimated.