By Cindy Von Quednow
The Ventura County Star
VENTURA, Calif. — A brush fire whipped by Santa Ana winds Thursday burned more than 45 acres between Ventura and Santa Paula, but no major damage or injuries were reported, officials said.
The fire, reported at 1:35 p.m. off Aliso Canyon Road, was about 50 percent contained late Thursday. It was expected to be fully contained by midnight, authorities said.
The blaze burned a hillside scattered with avocado and citrus orchards, authorities said. The California Highway Patrol closed Aliso Canyon Road at Foothill Road after the fire began, allowing only residents and ranch workers through.
Winds reached 15 to 25 mph in the area, with gusts up to 40 mph, spurring a heavy response from firefighters. Crews from Ventura County, Santa Paula, Ventura, Fillmore and Oxnard — about 100 firefighters in all — responded, said Capt. Ron Oatman, a spokesman for the Ventura County Fire Department.
Helicopters from the Ventura County Sheriff ‘s Office and Los Angeles Fire Department dropped water on the blaze. By 6:45 p.m., the helicopters had been released. While the blaze was on ranch property, it was blowing away from structures in the area, Oatman said. The cause of the fire was not yet known.
“We’re hitting it hard and sending a lot of equipment to make sure we secure it with this weather,” Oatman said Thursday afternoon. “It definitely had potential to grow because of winds. Anytime we have this kind of weather, it is a concern.”
A high-wind warning and advisory were in effect throughout Ventura County on Thursday, but no major wind damage was reported.
The strong Santa Ana winds were expected to last through this afternoon, according to the National Weather Service. Northeast winds between 25 and 35 mph were expected, with gusts up to 60 mph in hills and valleys.
The weather service advised motorists traveling for the holidays to use caution, and said residents should secure lawn furniture and other loose items that are outside homes.
Strong winds were reported Thursday at Channel Islands and Ventura harbors, but they did not cause any damage, officials said.
“They are howling,” said Capt. Gary Hirtensteiner of the Channel Islands Harbor Patrol.
John Freeman, a Ventura Harbor Patrol officer, said a few fishing boats ventured out Thursday, but no recreational vessels.
“I would recommend people don’t even go out during strong winds,” Freeman said, “or that they stay really close to shore, because about a half-mile offshore, it gets particularly rough.”
The winds did not cause significant damage to crops in the area, John Krist, CEO of the Farm Bureau of Ventura County, said before the fire. But because the winds were dry and temperatures were expected to drop, farmers were concerned about frost. He said farmers were using irrigation systems to keep crops moist.
“These aren’t exactly the toppling-orchards kind of winds yet,” Krist said. “It’s been nothing extraordinary, just a typical east wind episode.”
A warming trend was expected through the holiday weekend and into next week, with temperatures in the 70s.
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