The fire broke out Thursday afternoon near the southwest shore of Lake Piru in Ventura County and by evening had burned about 300 acres. The flames engulfed half of the boaters, who were forced to take shelter on the lakeshore, officials said.
The fire, called the Felicia fire, is threatening three to five structures, including homes and a US Forest Service fire station. Video from OnScene.TV showed roaring flames leaping into the air. The fire was burning fiercely near the house as it was late afternoon.
All threatened units have personnel assigned to protect them, said Andrew Dowd, public information officer for the Ventura County Fire Department.
The fire has burned 301 hectares and is 14% contained as of 8 p.m
Dowd told The Times that the more than 500 firefighters assigned were “making good progress” and that the fire’s progress had been halted.
“Steep, rugged terrain with no easy access hampers firefighting efforts,” the department wrote on site X updating the progress of the fire.
The Ventura County Sheriff’s Department ordered an evacuation on the west side of the lake and closed Piru Canyon Road. About 15 people were evacuated from the lake’s recreation areas, including a campground and nearby canyon.
A firefighting bulldozer works against the spreading flames of a fire in Ventura County Thursday afternoon.
(Eric Thayer / Associated Press)
The six boaters were unable to leave before the roads were closed, Dowd said, and they took shelter in the parking lot north of the fire until park rangers were able to get them out around 5 p.m.
The fire started around 1 p.m., and its cause is still under investigation, said Dowd. No injuries were reported.
Video released by the Ventura County Fire Department showed crews clearing brush while helicopters dropped water on the fire from a distance.
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