Firefighters in Ventura County responded swiftly to a brush fire that broke out on Monday night near Auto Center Drive. The fire, reported around 6:50 p.m. in the Santa Clara River bottom, spread rapidly, driven by Santa Ana winds. By 11:45 p.m., the blaze had expanded to 55.7 acres but was still at 0% containment. Fire crews remained on-site early Tuesday morning, focused on extinguishing the remaining hot spots.
Despite the fire’s size, firefighter Andrew Dowd indicated that due to its location in the river bottom, there were no immediate threats to nearby structures. An evacuation order was issued around 9:30 p.m. for the Santa Clara River area between the 101 Freeway and Victoria Avenue, though no residential areas required evacuation at that time, as noted by Ventura County’s emergency services.
Initial reports indicated that within an hour of its detection, the fire had engulfed approximately 5 acres. Responding firefighters utilized ground crews and helicopters for water drops to combat the flames that had even reached parts of the RiverRidge Golf Club in Oxnard. By 9 p.m., around 75 firefighters were actively engaged in suppressing the fire, with the number increasing to about 100 as the situation escalated.
The timing of the fire coincided with a “particularly dangerous situation” red flag warning in Ventura County, designated by the National Weather Service, indicating severe fire weather conditions expected to last until Wednesday afternoon. This warning has been seldom issued since its introduction in 2020, highlighting the urgency of maintaining fire management protocol in the area.
In addition to the Auto Fire, firefighting efforts were also mobilized to combat a separate fire in Simi Valley, known as the Royal Fire, which ignited at 7:48 p.m. near Darrah Volunteer Park.
Firefighting capabilities and coordinated responses reflect the community’s resilience and preparedness in the face of fire threats, illustrating the commitment of local teams to safeguard lives and property. As firefighters continue their efforts, there is hope that their hard work and the upcoming weather changes will help alleviate these challenging conditions.