Blaze Destroys 500 Acres Above Lake Piru
A forest fire sparked by lightning had blackened 500 acres of steep terrain in two national forests north of Lake Piru by late Thursday night, and it was not known when the flames would be brought under control, a spokeswoman for the United States Forest Service said.
“It will help if we get a little bit of moisture tonight [Thursday],” said Shawn Lawler, a spokeswoman for the forest service. Otherwise, dry grass and other vegetation around the Lake Piru area could make it difficult for firefighters to quench the flames, she said.
As of Thursday night, there had not been any injuries and no structures were threatened by the fire burning across the Los Angeles and Ventura county line, Lawler said.
Dianne Cahir, a spokeswoman for the forest service, said the fire is in Piru Gorge about seven miles north of Lake Piru. It is in the Sespe Wilderness, about five miles from the area where endangered California condors live, but none of the vultures were threatened, officials said.
The fire started about 1 p.m., Cahir said.
By nighttime, there were about 250 firefighters from the forest service and Los Angeles County Fire Department battling the flames, she said.
Firefighters were expected to set up camp, and additional crews would probably be dispatched, Lawler said.
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