Wildfires Near Ojai Blamed on Single Arsonist

Three wildfires in Ojai over a 24-hour period last week appear to be the work of a single arsonist, county fire officials said Tuesday.

Concerned that the arsonist will strike again during what promises to be a hot and dry summer, city and fire officials began a public-awareness campaign Tuesday, asking residents to help them catch the firebug.

Two of the fires were lit using what fire investigators call a “hot set,” with dry brush. The third involved a device that officials declined to be specific about, citing their ongoing investigation.

The timing of the three fires, which burned about 20 acres April 30 and May 1, was particularly bad, coinciding with the season’s first major wildfire, the Grand fire. Beginning April 28 and continuing through May 1, the Grand fire consumed more than 10,000 acres and tapped firefighting forces from all over Southern California and as far away as Montana before it was extinguished.

The first of the Ojai fires started about 5:30 p.m. April 30 near the end of Daly Road close to where Los Padres National Forest begins. It burned about 15 acres.

About 4:30 p.m. May 1, firefighters responded to another call in Ojai, this time off Gridley Road less than a mile from the first fire. While that three- to five-acre fire was being put out, county fire officials said, a third fire was lit higher up the hill.

County fire spokeswoman Sandi Wells said there was one fortunate aspect to having the Ojai fires happen at the same time as the Grand fire: a large helicopter with a 2,000-gallon capacity was in the area and arrived on the scene to douse the May 1 fire within five minutes.

“We would not have had that available had we not had the Grand incident going on,” she said.

Wells spent Tuesday putting up posters and handing out pamphlets in Ojai supermarkets, fire stations and U. S. Forest Service offices asking people to look for suspicious individuals or vehicles in brushy areas. The county is also asking residents to be particularly vigilant on days when Santa Ana winds are blowing.

“We would want them to pay attention on specific weather days, days where the humidity is low and the easterly winds are blowing,” Wells said. “Days like that should really perk up their interest.”

The county is using part of a $10,000 federal grant it received last year for the Ojai education program.

Fire season officially opens May 15, but Wells pointed out that the Grand incident has kicked prevention efforts into full gear.

“It seems that Mother Nature opened fire season a little earlier than usual,” she said.

Although this winter was relatively dry, with rainfall levels only about 85% of average, county officials say the great soaking of the 1995 season should help keep the fire danger low this year.

“If you have a really wet year, that will usually keep the chaparral nice and wet, even into the next year, so that it is harder to burn,” said Dolores Taylor, a hydrologist with the Ventura County Flood Control District. “And last year our rainfall was 200% of normal.”

But as the Grand fire demonstrated, wildfires are still to be feared. A combination of fast-blowing Santa Ana winds and plenty of fuel--woody chaparral that hadn’t burned in decades--led to an out-of-control blaze.

Ojai City Manager Andy Belknap said residents there are particularly nervous about fires, having recently commemorated the 10th anniversary of the Wheeler fire, which burned 120,000 acres and threatened the city for 10 days.

“That had a pretty big impact on the town,” Belknap said. “I expect the community will get behind this effort 110%.”

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Arson Fires

Fire officials believe that an arsonist set three wildfires in Ojai in a 24- hour period last week. Firefighters quickly extinquished the blazes, even as they were fighting a more than 10,000- acre brush fire farther east.

1. Fire set April 30 (15 acres)

2. Fire set May 1 (3-5 acres)

3. Fire set May 1 (small)