VENTURA : Winds Spark Fires in Several Buildings

Gusty winds that buffeted Ventura County were blamed for an early Monday morning fire that damaged the roofs of several Ventura buildings and kept anxious homeowners on alert.

Damage was limited to an estimated $10,000 from the fire that started when windblown tree branches in the Arundell Barranca fell on a residential power line near Bryn Mawr Street and Telegraph Road.

The wind gusts, combined with the shake roofs on homes in the area, made the small fire in the barranca potentially hazardous, said Bill Rigg, a battalion chief with the Ventura City Fire Department.

“Any time we have high winds we keep a lookout for burning” embers, Rigg said. One ember started a fire on the roof of Noren’s Store two blocks away. The fire was quickly extinguished.

Shortly after the fire started at 1 a.m., Arlene Briggle woke to a popping sound and saw a red glow through the bedroom skylight of her home on Bryn Mawr.

“The wind was really whipping in all directions,” Briggle said. “I was afraid my house was on fire.”

Firefighters quickly controlled the blaze, but it damaged the roof and equipment of the Campus View Club, a swim club on Bryn Mawr.

About 50 customers lost electricity and up to 400 cable television and telephone customers lost service because of the fire, but all services were restored by Monday afternoon.

Steve Burback of Weather Data Inc. attributed the strong winds to a cold high-pressure system over Utah. Although the gusts were expected to die down throughout most of the county by tonight, storm fronts to the north could generate more wind later in the week, forecasters said. Highs along the coast should remain in the mid to high 60s with inland highs in the 70s and low 80s. Overnight lows will range from the mid-30s to close to 50. No rain is expected through the end of the week, Burback said.