High Winds Worry Police, Fire Agencies

Santa Ana winds combined with low humidity have authorities throughout Ventura County on alert this weekend for any sign of fire.

The Ventura County Fire Department made quick work of two small fires Friday afternoon, neither of which caused damage to structures. A brush fire reported at 12:52 p.m. on Yosemite Avenue near the Ronald Reagan Freeway in Simi Valley was contained to one acre, authorities said.

About an hour later, a fire caused some damage to a fence in the 200 block of Burnham Road west of Oak View.

The National Weather Service in Oxnard reported sustained winds between 20 and 30 mph throughout the county Friday, and was forecasting similarly high winds through tonight, said meteorologist Bruce Rockwell.

Camarillo and Point Mugu on Friday reported gusts up to 35 and 31 mph respectively, and gusts were reported up to 40 mph in the Santa Monica Mountains south of Thousand Oaks.

Humidity throughout the county was in the teens Friday and is not expected to change soon.

Oxnard reached a high of 90 degrees Friday and will likely be the county’s hot spot today topping out at 92 degrees, said weather service meteorologist Rob Krohn. Camarillo is expected to reach a high of 88.

Temperatures along the coast are expected to be a few degrees higher than the inland areas, because the winds are expected to come off the mountains and heat up as they head toward the coast, Krohn said.

The mercury will rise into the upper 80s today in Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks, Krohn said.

The high temperatures combined with the dry, hot winds have fire departments in a special state of readiness. The fire season has not ended for the Ventura County Fire Department, which remains at what it calls Plan 1 staffing. This means two water tenders and an additional engine remain ready to go anywhere in the county.

The Oxnard Fire Department also has put its staff on alert, said Battalion Chief Terry McAnally. In addition, two engines have been put on standby, he said.

During their briefing Friday afternoon, Ventura police officers were reminded to be watchful of people as they come and go from areas susceptible to fire. It was two weeks ago, on Oct. 25, that the city experienced a nighttime blaze touched off by an arsonist.

The Poli Street fire, as it was called, burned nearly 500 acres and brought in crews from throughout the state, many of whom had been in Malibu battling that city’s fire. A freak cloudburst brought the flames under control and authorities are still searching for those responsible for the blaze. No structures were damaged in that fire.