Fire burns in Thousand Oaks
A brush fire broke out Monday afternoon on a steep hillside in a southern section of Thousand Oaks, charring about 30 acres and temporarily threatening as many as 20 homes before firefighters began making significant headway.
The fire lighted up the evening sky along the Ventura Freeway, slowing rush-hour traffic.
Authorities said no homes or other structures were damaged and no injuries were reported. The cause remains under investigation.
As of 10 p.m., the blaze was 15% contained, but firefighters were planning to work through the night in hopes of having it fully under control by daybreak, said Capt. Barry Parker of the Ventura County Fire Department.
The fire was reported about 4:40 p.m., south of the freeway and southwest of the intersection of Hampshire Road and Triunfo Canyon Road.
More than 200 firefighters, led by the Ventura County Fire Department, battled the blaze.
Authorities never urged residents to evacuate, but fire-wary homeowners took precautions as flames approached their neighborhoods, which include many homes worth $2 million or more.
Among the concerned residents were Gary and Wendy Asarch of Tamarack Street. They hosed down their backyard and roof and loaded a van with valuables, preparing to leave.
The fire came within about 100 yards of their property, but firefighters helped turn it back, and the Asarches stayed.
Gary Asarch called the firefighters’ efforts “amazing.”
Once the danger had cleared, however, Wendy Asarch, a nurse-practitioner, looked at her flooded backyard and fretted: “Of all weeks for this to happen. I’ve got 130 people coming this weekend for my son’s bar mitzvah!”
The fire initially was propelled by Santa Ana winds gusting up to 22 mph shortly after 6 p.m. By 8:15 p.m., however, the winds had subsided, according to the National Weather Service.
Authorities said they did not uncover any evidence of arson, but were not yet ruling it out.
Senior Deputy Eric Buschow of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department said the fire began on a rugged hill near some Southern California Edison power lines.
He speculated that the utility’s distribution equipment might have contributed to the blaze.
However, Jeremy Rawitch, a spokesman for the utility, said no Edison lines were damaged and that there was no evidence that its facilities might have contributed to the fire.
stuart.silverstein@latimes.com
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