Firefighters battle blaze above Simi Valley

Ventura County firefighters are battling a brush fire just above the hills of Simi Valley, with two water-dropping helicopters at the scene and fixed-wing aircraft requested.

The fire was reported at 3:48 p.m. Thursday, said Ventura County Fire spokesman Bill Nash. He said that in addition to the air attack, firefighters from 10 engines were trying to control the blaze on the ground.

“We’re working real hard to get around this one,” he said.

The fire is about 10 acres and has had some spotting, with flames jumping from one place to another on the hills, Nash said. It’s generally moving away from homes, he said, and the conditions for fighting the brush fire aren’t as bad as they could be.

“We don’t have the high heat, though we do have the wind component and the dry fuel,” Nash said. “But we don’t have really strong winds, and that’ll give firefighters a chance to get into it.”

The fire above Los Angeles Avenue and Stearn Street has affected nearby Metrolink trains, with service suspended between the Chatsworth and Moorpark stations, spokesman Jeff Lustgarten told KCAL-TV Channel 9.

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