FIRE FIGHT: Wednesday is the one-year anniversary...

FIRE FIGHT: Wednesday is the one-year anniversary of the arson fires that scorched more than 68,000 acres in Ventura County. . . . So what will National Park Service officials be doing? They’ll be setting fires of their own. Park officials plan a controlled burn in Palo Comado Canyon near Thousand Oaks. . . . The idea is to reduce vegetation that could fuel another wildfire. “This is about the time of the year we always do them,” spokeswoman Catherine Saunders explained.

QUICK CONNECTION: Hoping to tap into the growing cellular phone industry, Thousand Oaks-based GTE of California has snapped up contracts in recent months to provide new directory-assistance services (Valley Business, Page 3). . . . The services allow cellular phone subscribers to call 411 for a phone number, then the option of being directly connected with that number. “We’re spending a great deal of effort to be the best out there,” GTE spokesman Jay Burrell said.

TIS THE SEASON: Flu season is coming, but flu shots won’t be available at Ventura County health clinics until Nov. 1. . . . That’s because the county’s shipment of flu vaccine was held up, forcing the postponement. “It’s the first time I believe that has happened,” said Rosemarie Perez at Public Health. . . . For those who just can’t wait, FHP Health Care is sponsoring flu clinics at private hospitals in Camarillo, Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks.