Firefighters Relight Controlled Burn Near Simi Valley

A controlled burn in the mountains north of Simi Valley that fire officials declared over on Tuesday was reignited Wednesday afternoon to finish off an unburned island of brush, fire officials said.

Los Angeles County Fire Department spokesman Chuck Gutierrez said the organizers of the burn decided to continue the joint Ventura County-Los Angeles County effort Wednesday because a 1,000-acre section that did not burn could have caused a natural fire to leapfrog into the mountain passes.

Gutierrez said it is possible that the burn will continue through Thursday. After reducing their estimate of the burn area Tuesday to 3,000 acres, fire officials now expect the burn to reach its goal of 5,000 acres, he said.