20-Acre Brush Fire Called Possible Arson
A hillside brush fire that scorched about 20 acres in a remote area north of Camarillo on Saturday may have been arson, authorities said.
No one was injured or evacuated in the blaze, Ventura County Fire Capt. Gary Desgagnes said.
About 60 firefighters, aided by a water-dropping helicopter, spent about six hours dousing flames that consumed brush near Altamont Way and West Highland Drive, a sparsely populated area over the hill from some citrus groves.
No arrests have been made in connection with the fire, but Desgagnes said a brush fire this time of year is not normal and caught firefighters by surprise.
“It was unusual that the burn was as heavy as it was and spread as quickly as it did,” he said. “It was burning through green vegetation.”
Several area residents reported smoke about 11:40 a.m. Firefighters had extinguished all smoldering brush by about 5:30 p.m.
A slight wind and the slope of the land helped accelerate the flames, Desgagnes said.
“Had it been windier, it would have been a much bigger problem,” he said.
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