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Brush fire rages into Ventura County as crews work into the night

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Hundreds of firefighters Wednesday night continued to battle a brush fire that had burned more than 3,000 acres and was raging out of control after starting in Kern County near the Grapevine.

The most active front of the Grand fire Wednesday night was in Ventura County, where flames had spread and were burning through brush and grass in the Los Padres National Forest, fire officials said.

Fire officials earlier had believed that the blaze had crossed into Los Angeles County. But late Wednesday, the L.A. County Fire Department said the fire was burning close to the county border but had not crossed it.

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The fire broke out around 1:20 p.m. near Frazier Mountain Park Road and Grand Terrace Drive, not far from Frazier Park, an unincorporated mountain village in Kern County.

As walls of flame quickly spread, mandatory evacuations were ordered for Hungry Valley State Park and Piru Creek Campground.

Deputies swooped down on Frazier Mountain High School to evacuate the campus, but students had already left for the day, said Lt. Dana Albro of the Kern County Sheriff’s Department.

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One witness told The Times that flames raged close to the campus football field as thick clouds of smoke billowed into the air.

“The flames were huge.… It was horrible,” said Rebecca Crowe, 14, a middle school student who was headed to her home in Frazier Park as she passed the campus Wednesday afternoon.

Seven air tankers and four water-dropping helicopters repeatedly attacked the blaze Wednesday evening as firefighters from several agencies worked to contain flames and protect structures, fire officials said.

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The air attack was suspended as darkness fell but was scheduled to resume in the morning, said Kern County Fire Department spokesman Corey Wilford.

He said the blaze was 10% contained and that about 600 firefighters were working into the night.

Winds in the Grapevine area Wednesday night were blowing at 7 mph with gusts up to 15 mph, the National Weather Service said. Relative humidity was at 44%.

In Los Angeles County, deputies were dispatched to the Gorman area Wednesday night in case a shift in the winds pushed flames toward residential areas and evacuations were needed, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.

“We have personnel standing by in the off chance the winds shift and something happens,” Lt. John Rush of the Santa Clarita sheriff’s station told The Times. “We’re ready to mobilize.”

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Twitter: @LAJourno

robert.lopez@latimes.com

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