Large Brush Fires Burn Near Fillmore, Santa Maria

Two fires raged untamed across 4,500 acres of the Los Padres National Forest on Tuesday, threatening scattered ranches but burning away from populated areas.

The smaller blaze had blackened 1,000 acres north of Fillmore in Ventura County, just seven hours after it started. The larger fire near Santa Maria, in Santa Barbara County, more than doubled in size in six hours to 3,500 acres and was burning near private ranches.

Erratic gusts fanned the brush fires into the night. “The winds are up and down and back and forth,” said Sandi Wells, a Ventura County Fire Department spokeswoman.

Ten air tankers dumped fire retardant and seven helicopters made water drops throughout the day in support of 1,000 firefighters on the ground at the larger fire. Another 300 firefighters from throughout Southern California were en route with a force of 1,300-plus expected by nightfall.

The fire, 15 miles northeast of Santa Maria and 150 miles northwest of Los Angeles, burned through brush, bush and oaks that had not burned in four decades. No cause was immediately apparent for the blaze.

But even as crews tried to encircle that fire, another erupted in the same forest, about 80 miles away. That fire burned 1,000 acres of brush about five miles north of Fillmore, and ash from the flames fell as far away as Simi Valley, 20 miles away.

It appeared to be burning away from populated areas, said U.S. Forest Service spokesman Joe Pasinato. The only structure threatened was Hopper Ranch, where endangered condors were once housed.

It wasn’t clear what caused the fire to ignite about 2 p.m. About 150 firefighters were on the scene, along with three copters and three air tankers.