Weather Helps Crews Contain 6-Acre Fire

Cool temperatures and high humidity helped firefighters get the best of a brush fire that burned about six acres of steep terrain Monday in Los Padres National Forest.

The fire, located in Matilija Canyon northwest of Ojai, started about 11:50 a.m. on the north side of Matilija Road, said Gary Wuchner, a spokesman for the U.S. Forest Service. A small fire burned several acres in the same area last year, Wuchner said.

“It’s a steep grade that goes up into the forest,” he said. “The area has light to moderate brush, going from grasses to chaparral and chamisa, some of which is pretty dense.”

Twelve fire engines, two hand crews, two water tankers, a heli-tanker and a helicopter helped fight the blaze.

Authorities were still investigating the cause of the fire.

Forest Service firefighters were aided by crews from the Ventura County Fire Department and the California Department of Forestry, Wuchner said.

“This fire had only a moderate rate of spread, and that’s thanks to the cloud cover, low temperatures and low winds,” he said.

Firefighters had the blaze contained by 3 p.m. No structures were threatened by the fire, and no one was injured.

Witnesses say a green Volkswagen van with a white top was seen in the area before the fire broke out. The van, which had blue-and-white out-of-state license plates, was driven by a man with shoulder-length brown hair.

Anyone who saw the van or who has information about the fire is asked to call Forest Service fire investigators at 646-4348, Ext. 337.