Crews Gain Upper Hand on Fires : Santa Anas: Crews racing against the wind are carving rings around blazes near Santa Paula and Ojai to keep flames away from new brush.

Battle-weary firefighters rushed to put out stubborn blazes in the rugged canyons above Santa Paula and Ojai on Friday, racing against the possibility that Santa Ana winds would rekindle the flames after dark.

Hand crews were carving rings around both blazes Friday, establishing lines around 60% of the perimeter, hoping they would hold the fire away from new brush through the night.

In the hills above Santa Paula, a squadron of air tankers turned the sky pink, dropping fire retardant around the blaze which had consumed more than 23,000 acres by Friday evening.

And along California 150, near Steckel Park where the Santa Paula fire started, strike teams roamed up and down the road, burning dry brush in an effort to leave the blaze without fuel should it return.

“It would be really nasty if it jumped the road here,” said Yuba City firefighter Marc Boomgaarden, leading a strike team assigned to protect a row of nearby homes. “We’re just patrolling this and waiting for the Santa Anas to come tonight.”

Ventura Fire Chief Vern Hamilton said late Friday that the wind was not forecast to be as strong as first predicted and that he believed firefighters would be able to hold their lines, which are about two miles from the city of Ventura.

Hamilton said he expects the blaze to be 80% to 90% contained by tonight.

“We want to quell rumors that the fire is coming to Ventura,” Hamilton said. “There is still a risk because winds could still kick the fire up over the control lines. But at this point, we don’t believe that will happen.”

On fire lines throughout the rugged canyons north and east of Santa Paula, firefighters attacked the blaze but kept close watch on the sky.

Nearly 800 firefighters battled the blaze Friday, an increase of 300 from the day before. This morning, an additional 640 firefighters were expected to join the fight.

Penn Valley firefighter Kurt Chamberlin, monitoring the southern flank of the fire, arrived Wednesday and didn’t expect to return to his Northern California home anytime soon.

“With the winds coming back, they’ll go ahead and keep the firepower here,” Chamberlin said, keeping a watch while his buddies caught up on lost sleep.

Fire officials said if a strong Santa Ana wind pushes the blaze across control lines, the fire has the potential to reach Ventura and the Ventura Freeway.

“It all depends on what the wind does,” said Carl Kent, an information officer on the scene. “The crews will be out tonight keeping those lines going. The potential is too great to let up.”

The forecast was better for the Ojai fire. The fire, which started Wednesday morning and blackened 1,650 acres, was 90% contained Friday night.

Air tankers bombarded the blaze Friday morning while firefighters finished carving a fire break around it. Fire officials said they were only slightly concerned about the Santa Ana winds that were expected to blow through Ventura County late Friday and all day today.

“We walked the fire today looking for hot spots and it’s virtually cold,” said Charlie Johnson, a Santa Barbara firefighter and assigned spokesman. “We are feeling reasonably comfortable at this point.”

The fire started west of California 33, about a mile north of Matilija Road. The blaze was the second one to race through the area in the past eight years.

Because the blaze has been nearly surrounded, Johnson said California 33 was reopened Friday night. The road had been closed since Wednesday, between Fairview and Rose Valley roads.

Johnson said many of the 300 firefighters who have been working the fire will be allowed to go home today. Much of the firefighting equipment will be reassigned to other areas.

But while hundreds of firefighters have been on the front line, others were just arriving.

Scott Barry, a Nevada firefighter with the Carson City Fire Department, arrived with his crew members early Friday. After a short nap, he and the others were preparing to relieve bone-tired firefighters who had been cutting fire breaks all day.

“We’ll be here as long as it takes,” Barry said. “As long as they need us.”