Blaze Burns 23 Acres of Brush

A fire that started in a rural area in east Fillmore burned 23 acres of brush before being contained Tuesday morning.

The blaze was spotted about 9:15 p.m. Monday in rugged terrain near Guiberson Road in Calumet Canyon, according to Ventura County Fire Department spokesman Joe Luna.

Before smoke and flames were seen by nearby ranch owners, several lightning strikes and rain were reported in the area, Battalion Chief Frank Huneck said. The cause of the fire, however, remains under investigation.

“We haven’t found anything yet to prove that” it was lightning, he added.

At the fire’s peak about midnight, about 65 firefighters from the county and the cities of Fillmore, Ventura and Los Angeles were on scene. Two water-dropping helicopters were brought in at daybreak, Luna said.

Only dirt roads led to the blaze area, which made access difficult for firefighters, hand crews and two bulldozers that were brought in, Luna said.

“The terrain and the weather . . . It was rough going for the firefighters,” Luna said.

There were no reported injuries nor were any structures threatened, Luna said. Five of the burned acres were purposefully torched as a “backfire” to help stop the blaze, Luna said.

Total containment was established at 9:50 a.m. Tuesday, and cleanup efforts and surveillance were expected to last through 9 p.m.