Countywide : 7 Acres Burned in Piru, Simi Valley

Separate brush fires in Piru and Simi Valley that erupted within two hours of each other Friday were quickly brought under control by firefighters, officials said.

The first blaze began about 11:30 a.m. in scrubby terrain off California 126 at the entrance to the Newhall Ranch in Piru, Ventura County fire dispatcher Christine Peterson said.

By 1:20 p.m., fire crews in 15 engines, including five from Los Angeles County, managed to contain the flames, Peterson said. About four acres of brush were burned, she said.

While crews were fighting the Piru blaze, a second fire was reported at 1:04 p.m. on a ridge north of the Simi Valley Freeway between Kuehner Drive and Yosemite Avenue in Simi Valley.

By the time firefighters arrived 20 minutes later, the winds had changed, pushing the fire back over an area already burned, Peterson said. The fire burned three acres of scrubland before being contained at 1:40 p.m., she said.

No structures were threatened in either fire. The cause has not been determined in either fire, Peterson said.