Extreme Fire Alert Declared in County

Responding to wind and record-breaking heat, Ventura County fire officials declared an extreme fire danger situation Wednesday, then dispatched a special anti-arson squad and a roving task force to battle any emerging blazes.

The fire danger -- described by officials as the worst of the season -- was fueled by temperatures that broke records in three cities.

The 90-degree readings in Oxnard and Ojai broke 1954 records of 89 and 88, respectively. In Simi Valley, the mercury reached 84, trumping the 1986 record of 82, according to the National Weather Service.

“The Santa Ana conditions mixed with the offshore winds, which were pretty strong, made this some of the hottest weather of the year,” said meteorologist Bruce Rockwell.

The U.S. Forest Service postponed a controlled burn planned for 4,800 acres in Los Padres National Forest near Frazier Park because of dangerous conditions.

“It’s too dry and too windy,” said David Kerr of the Forest Service in Ojai. “The physical elements just aren’t lining up. We have to wait to get out of the Santa Ana wind period.”

The burn may be rescheduled for Tuesday if it rains next week as expected, officials said.

In the populated lowlands of Ventura County, the county Fire Department heightened its firefighting preparations because strong winds, low humidity and dry brush have increased the potential for conflagration, officials said.

All 31 county fire stations are fully staffed and extra fire patrols have been dispatched, spokesman Joe Luna said.

“We have three brush [engines] out with a 2,000-gallon water tender, so if a fire breaks out, they’re already on the road,” he said. “They traverse the whole county. And they have their own immediate supply of water.”

Also on patrol Wednesday, Luna said, were special arson teams in fire-prone canyons and hilly areas of the county.

“They’re in urban interface areas,” where brushland is near homes, he said. “They’re our eyes and ears, reporting anything suspicious.”

The targeted areas include Piru, Simi Valley, Fillmore, Ojai, Santa Paula Canyon and the Potrero Road area of Hidden Valley near Thousand Oaks.

The department’s extreme fire alert is in effect indefinitely, Luna said.

A storm two weeks ago dropped up to 7 1/2 inches of rain on the county’s mountains and more than 4 inches on the coastal plains. It was the first significant precipitation in 10 months, but trees and brush did not gain enough moisture to be fire-resistant, officials said.