Fire Blamed on Children With Matches

Children playing with matches near an abandoned trailer in the Camarillo hills were responsible for the 150-acre fire that threatened about 20 homes over the weekend, investigators said Monday.

Ventura County Fire Department arson investigators focused their efforts on the aluminum-sided travel trailer from the start, said Sandi Wells, a Fire Department spokeswoman.

“I can’t say now exactly what evidence made them certain it was children playing with matches, but that’s the conclusion,” she said. “We will have more information soon.”

The fire began at about 2 p.m. Sunday in a canyon east of Alosta Drive, located in an affluent neighborhood in unincorporated Ventura County known as the Heights. The empty trailer had apparently attracted children to the canyon, neighbors said.

Steep hills and narrow canyons complicated the firefighting effort, officials said. But low winds allowed two air tankers and four helicopters to drop water and fire retardant with pinpoint accuracy, and by nightfall, the fire was three-quarters contained.

Smoke from the blaze was visible from across the county and as far away as Calabasas, and gawkers driving along the Ventura Freeway slowed traffic to a crawl for hours.

At the height of the blaze, 230 firefighters, along with the air tankers and helicopters, fought the fire, Wells said. After dark, hand crews continued to work, and by 2 a.m. Monday had the blaze contained.

“This morning, at about 7 a.m., the sheriff’s helicopter flew us over the area with an infrared device to see any hot spots,” Wells said. “There were quite a few in the center of the burn, and crews went in.”

About 75 firefighters continued to work on the fire Monday, she said. The investigation into who caused the fire will continue.

“If, in fact, the investigators have identified the young folks who caused it, then it is possible citations will be issued,” Wells said.

There were no injuries, and no homes were damaged in the fire.