Wildf ire season is still raging in California
Two blazes in Ventura County threaten neighborhoods, prompt evacuations and force the closure of the 101 Freeway.
Portions of Ventura County were under siege Thursday evening as two large fires descended on neighborhoods, threatening numerous communities reeling from the massacre at a country music bar the night before.
The Hill fire was being whipped up by powerful winds that pushed it through canyons and to the edge of Camarillo Springs and Cal State Channel Islands, both of which were evacuated.
The blaze broke out in the Hill Canyon area about 2 p.m. and in just 12 minutes jumped the 101 Freeway. By Thursday evening, it had scorched up to 7,000 acres and sent residents of more than 1,200 homes fleeing. Fire officials expect it will burn all the way to the ocean.
The fire, as well as a smaller one that broke out to the east near Box Canyon, created chaotic conditions in an area that less than 24 hours earlier was devastated by a mass shooting that left 12 people and the gunman dead.
Ventura County Fire Capt. Brian McGrath said his team responded to both events. And after coming off their shifts, several firefighters participated in the procession for Sheriff’s Sgt. Ron Helus, who was killed in the shooting.
“Most personnel were able to get a few hours of rest and, now, are back at it,” McGrath said. “We are ready and we are here.”
Authorities shut down the 101 Freeway in both directions at Camarillo Springs Road, forcing some motorists to drive down the wrong side of the freeway to avoid the fire. Live television footage showed at least one home and several RVs consumed by flames. One firefighter was injured.
Paul Heckathorne, 42, of Newbury Park was driving home from work when he saw smoke spewing from the hills. He pulled off the freeway to see where the fire was coming from.
“I’ve lived here for a long time, and I’ve seen these hills go up in flames many times,” he said. “It happens and it’s made worse by Santa Ana winds.”
The fire broke out in Hill Canyon off Santa Rosa Road near Newbury Park, according to the Ventura County Fire Department. It’s burning in the footprint of the Springs fire, which scorched more than 24,000 acres a few years ago, McGrath said.
“The wind is definitely pushing this thing toward the ocean just like the Springs fire a few years ago,” he said. “It’s very fast.”
Firefighters were attempting to attack it by air because steep terrain has made the burn area inaccessible.
Fire Capt. Stan Ziegler said sustained winds of 30 to 35 mph with gusts of 40 mph made the air battle difficult.
The National Weather Service issued a red flag fire warning that went into effect Thursday morning, signaling possible fire danger across Ventura, Los Angeles and Orange counties through Friday night.
The strongest winds were expected overnight Thursday into Friday morning, when forecasters predict gusts between 40 and 50 mph in the valleys and coasts, and between 60 and 70 mph in the mountains.
The second fire was burning near Woolsey Canyon Road. By Thursday evening, the Woolsey fire had scorched 2,000 acres and was growing, triggering evacuation orders for about 20 homes on Saddlebow Road in Bell Canyon, as well as portions of Hidden Hills.
It had crossed over the Albertson Motorway, the ridgeline that separates Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks, in an area called China Flat, above Cheeseboro and Palo Comado canyons, Ventura County Fire Chief Mark Lorenzen said. It was expected to potentially move south, toward Oak Park.
The fires come less than a year after Ventura County was devastated by the Thomas fire, which burned homes from Ventura to Montecito.