Fire crews in Ventura responded to a significant brush fire on Monday night, located near Auto Center Drive, within the Santa Clara River bottom, an area flanked by Ventura and Oxnard. The incident was reported around 6:50 p.m., coinciding with the onset of strong Santa Ana winds that intensified fire weather conditions across the region.
As of 6 p.m. on Tuesday, the blaze, referred to as the Auto Fire, had expanded to approximately 61 acres, achieving a containment status of 47%, according to Andrew Dowd, spokesperson for the Ventura County Fire Department. Dowd clarified that earlier reports from Cal Fire suggesting a higher containment figure were inaccurate.
Firefighters managed to halt the fire’s forward progress shortly before midnight on Monday. The cause of the fire remains undetermined and under investigation. Fortunately, the fire did not threaten nearby structures due to its location in the river bottom, although an evacuation order was issued around 9:30 p.m. for the Santa Clara River area between the 101 Freeway and Victoria Avenue. It is important to note that no residential evacuations were necessitated.
Struggling combatting the dense vegetation within the riverbed, firefighters worked diligently throughout the night to control the blaze and eliminate hotspots within heavy grass known as arundo. Dowd emphasized the challenging conditions faced by crews, stating, “Because of the size, it will be a long night of hard work to get the heat out of certain portions of this fire.”
Initial reports indicated that the fire had spread to about 5 acres within the first hour, prompting immediate aerial support for water drops. At one point during the early hours, the flames encroached into the River Ridge Golf Club in Oxnard, with the course superintendent opting to deploy sprinklers as a precaution.
The response included approximately 100 firefighters actively battling the blaze as it escalated to around 10 acres. Traffic along Victoria Avenue faced disruptions due to onlookers, complicating access for emergency services.
In addition to the Auto Fire, a separate fire, termed the Royal Fire, ignited in Simi Valley around 7:48 p.m. on Monday, near Darrah Volunteer Park and the Arroyo Simi Equestrian Center. Firefighters successfully contained this second fire to roughly one acre.
These incidents coincided with a heightened fire risk across Ventura County, as the National Weather Service issued a “particularly dangerous situation” or PDS red flag warning at 4 a.m. Tuesday, expected to remain in effect until noon on Wednesday. This designation, which has been issued sporadically since its introduction in 2020, underscores the severe fire weather conditions reminiscent of previous fire outbreaks in the area.
While the situation remains serious, the effective and rapid response of the local firefighting teams demonstrates resilience and preparedness in facing such challenges, ensuring the safety of the surrounding communities.