SIMI VALLEY : Arson Blamed in 522-Acre Brush Fire
A July 29 brush fire in Simi Valley that consumed more than 522 acres of vegetation and briefly threatened a youth camp was the work of an arsonist, Ventura County Fire Department officials said Monday.
No incendiary device has been found, but there were no accidental or natural causes that could have caused the blaze, said Peter Cronk, investigator for the county Fire Department.
Juveniles were seen hiking in the area a short time before thick, five-foot-tall brush near Runkle Ranch caught fire at about 2:30 p.m., said Fire Chief Larry Titus. No suspects have been found, however.
Although 322 firefighters from Ventura and Los Angeles counties had the fire contained by 7 p.m., about 500 children and teen-agers attending summer camp at the nearby Brandeis-Bardin Institute were prepared to evacuate if it worsened.
Investigators are seeking information from anyone who observed any suspicious activity in the area on the day of the fire, Titus said.
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