The Associated Press
VENTURA, Calif. - A wildfire fanned by strong wind burned 500 acres (200 hectares) of brush early Friday in a rugged canyon area, officials said.
The blaze was reported around 3:30 a.m. in the School Canyon area between Ventura and Ojai, about 60 miles (100 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles, according to a Ventura County Fire Department dispatcher who said he was not authorized to give his name.
The fire was burning in a hilly, rocky area that contains numerous oil pumps, said Joe Luna, a spokesman for the Ventura County Fire Department. About 200 firefighters were battling the blaze, which was whipped by winds gusting to 33 mph (53 kph), he said.
Fire crews were positioned to protect surrounding neighborhoods but homes were not immediately threatened and no evacuations had been ordered by 6 a.m., he said. Flames were burning away from residential areas, he said.
The area is under a red flag warning, which advises of warm, windy and dry conditions that could lead to explosive fire growth.
At least one building had burned, apparently on an oil field, according to television footage.
Water-dropping helicopters were preparing to join the fight at daybreak if wind conditions permitted, Luna said.
Investigators were on scene but hadn’t yet determined a cause, he said.