8,500 acres Charred between Moorpark, Fillmore, Zimmerman Media is at the scene!
As the weather forecasters predicted the Santa Ana's surfaced today with sweltering heat and strong north easterly winds. Numerous wildfires were reported today in Ventura and Riverside County. The largest wildfire is the Guiberson Incident in Ventura County, Which is still burning out of control. Over 8,000 acres have been burned so far. Sheriff’s officials said the fire started from manure that combusted spontaneously. More than 600 firefighters were battling the blaze. The fire is 10 percent contained.
The fire started about 10:30 a.m. just outside Fillmore, near East Guiberson and Calumet Canyon roads, and moved quickly south toward Moorpark. The fire later moved west and jumped Highway 23 toward Balcom Canyon Road about 3:30 p.m. But by late Tuesday evening, the fire was headed east toward Somis and west toward Simi Valley, authorities said, while Moorpark appeared to be safe.
Temperatures topped 100, and humidity fell to single digits while winds gusted to 30 mph. The winds had calmed somewhat by 6:30 p.m., but officials feared they would pick up as daylight approached on Wednesday.
“It’s quiet right now,” Ron Oatman, a captain and spokesman for the Fire Department said Tuesday night. “We want to get in there and take advantage of the good weather.”
Two firefighters suffered minor smoke-inhalation injuries, Fire Department Battalion Chief John Moland said. They were treated at a local hospital and released. A third firefighter injured his ankle Tuesday night.
Voluntary evacuation notices were issued to residents in the unincorporated area of Moorpark just north of Broadway, west of Walnut Canyon, east of Grimes Canyon Road and south of Guiberson.
Residents in the Happy Camp and Championship Drive neighborhoods of Moorpark were also told to evacuate. The notice for Championship Drive was lifted late Tuesday. Some properties in the Fillmore, Bardsdale and Sespe areas also were under a voluntary evacuation order, as was the Solano Verde Drive area north of Bradley Road. Officials used an automated phone system to call residents.
At least eight fixed-wing firefighting airplanes and four heli-tankers were called to the blaze, Nash said. A DC-10 water tanker also was used. The aircraft were grounded as nightfall approached on Tuesday because of the dangers of flying after dark. The Ventura County Fire Department set up a command post at Arroyo Vista Park in Moorpark.
Oatman said the fire burned through the same area consumed by the Shekell fire in 2006.
“That was a big one, and, fortunately, it burned a lot of the fuel that could feed this one,” said Moorpark city spokesman Hugh Riley. He said water officials authorized avocado growers in the area to turn on irrigation sprinklers in their orchards.
Authorities said Tuesday’s fire started near to where a very similar fire ignited Monday evening. As with the fire on Tuesday, Monday’s blaze also was caused by spontaneous combustion from manure. However, fire fighters managed to quickly extinguish Monday’s fire.
Reports of heavy smoke and ash were wide- spread throughout Ventura County.
Shannon Conley, 44, said her home in the 1100 block of Guiberson Road was spared thanks to the quick action of firefighters.
“There was smoke everywhere,” Conley said. “It’s crazy how (the fire) moved like that.”
Donna Voelker, 66, said she took her laptop, photo albums and a family quilt and drove out of the area while her husband and children stayed to hose down their home on Guiberson.
“These firefighters were there just in time,” she said.
Dorann LaPerch, owner of Bonn-Fyre Farms, said watching the fire approach her hilltop property on Walnut Canyon Road was all too familiar. Her home was destroyed in 2003 and again in 2006 in the Shekell fire.
LaPerch has a horse-boarding business with about 50 animals. She hoped the brush clearance she did this year would be enough to protect her home.
“I’m freaking out,” LaPerch said, her hands shaking. “This brings back a lot of bad memories.”
Smoke was heavy at Moorpark College, but spokeswoman Jeanne Brown said the campus was not in any danger Tuesday. The campus planned to be open today, Brown said.
Officials of the Fillmore and Moorpark unified school districts said Tuesday that they planned to keep schools open today.
The Ventura County Air Pollution Control District reported winds were gusting up to 50 mph in some areas and issued a smoke advisory for all parts of the county.
Ventura County public health officials said residents should limit their outdoor activities for the next few days because of the bad air quality.
Adults and children with asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis or other respiratory and heart diseases are at greatest risk, said Dr. Robert Levin, the county’s chief public health officer.
“This even applies to those with no health problems,” Levin said. “If you or anyone you are with develops a cough, shortness of breath, wheezing, exhaustion, light-headedness or chest pain with increased activity, stop that activity immediately. The affected person should seek medical attention.”
We are following this breaking news story closely.
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