2 Simi Fires Cause $210,000 in Damage

Two unrelated fires in Simi Valley caused $210,000 in damage to two houses Thursday--one of them set afire by a fireworks rocket that landed on the roof, the Ventura County Fire Department reported.

No injuries were reported in either fire.

The first blaze started about 12:25 p.m. in a one-story house in the 2100 block of St. Clair Avenue, Fire Department dispatcher Annie Ironside said. It was ignited by a rocket that had been launched by several youths nearby and landed on the house’s roof, she said. The blaze, which caused $105,000 in damage, was extinguished at 1 p.m., she said.

A 16-year-old youth was arrested on suspicion of arson and released to his parents, the Simi Valley Police Department reported.

The second fire broke out about 1:50 p.m. in the garage of a two-story house in the 3500 block of Wellston Court, Ironside said. The blaze, which was confined to the garage and extinguished at 2:45 p.m., also caused $105,000 in damage, she said.

Firefighters pushed a $20,000 Mercedes-Benz out of the garage before the car was damaged, she said.