Reduced Winds Continue to Cause Problems

Winds continued to blow through Ventura County on Wednesday, knocking down trees in Oxnard, a power pole in Ventura--sparking a small fire--and a trailer being hauled by a semitruck in Simi Valley.

No one was injured and property damage was light, officials said.

Several trees were knocked over before dawn Wednesday, forcing the California Highway Patrol to close the northbound lanes of Victoria Avenue in Oxnard from Gonzales Road to Doris Avenue.

The closure continued for several hours to give crews time to clean up, said CHP Officer Steve Reid.

About 9:30 a.m., a semitruck hauling two trailers over Rocky Peak on the Ronald Reagan Freeway was hit by a strong gust that flipped one of the trailers, Reid said. The CHP closed the northbound lanes for about half an hour.

A short time later in Ventura, the wind knocked a large tree into power lines, igniting a small fire.

Firefighters kept the blaze from spreading to a eucalyptus grove along Arundell Barranca and Loma Vista Road.

Forecasters from the National Weather Service in Oxnard said the winds will likely diminish today but pick up again tonight and continue through Friday.

“They won’t be quite as strong,” said meteorologist Vladimir Ryshko, who predicted winds of about 25 mph in the valley and coastal areas of Ventura County with higher gusts in the mountain passes.

Skies should remain clear into the weekend, Ryshko said, but nighttime temperatures will continue to be chilly, with the mercury dipping into the 30s in some valley areas.