GRASS FIRE THREATENS HOMES; T.O. HILLSIDE CHARRED IN BLAZE.Byline: Sonia Giordani Daily News Staff Writer Ventura County firefighters battled Santa Ana winds Santa Ana Winds may refer to: 1. Santa Ana wind, a local Southern California reference to Föhn winds, a meteorological phenomenon occurring as a layer of wind is forced over a mountain range -- drying the air -- which then passes over the crest and begins to move downslope -- Wednesday afternoon to contain a fire that threatened residential hillsides as it spread through more than 60 acres of brush. The fire began at a construction site at the corner of Westlake Boulevard and Avenida de Los Arboles about 12:50 p.m. when grading equipment struck a rock and sparked the blaze, fire officials said. Firefighters managed to contain the fire by about 2:10 p.m. before it reached the three neighborhoods surrounding the open valley. Wednesday's blaze charred the hillsides leading up to residential communities off Queens Way in Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks, residential city (1990 pop. 104,352), Ventura co., S Calif., in a farm area; inc. 1964. Avocados, citrus, vegetables, strawberries, and nursery products are grown. . A thin layer of ash had settled on some residences in the area, where homeowners held their breath as firefighters fought the blaze Wednesday afternoon. May Kingman, a resident of Queens Way at the top of the hill, said she listened to the helicopters circling the fire and watched as Wednesday's winds pushed the flames up the hillside toward her home. ``Our local homeowners association had cleared away the brush from a good wide area near the homes, and the fire burned right up to that open area and then went out,'' Kingman said. No homes were touched and no one was hurt by Wednesday's blaze, but fire officials reminded homeowners that October is typically the worst month in the fire season. ``Right now, we have to be very careful because of these weather conditions - the high temperatures, the low humidity humidity, moisture content of the atmosphere, a primary element of climate. Humidity measurements include absolute humidity, the mass of water vapor per unit volume of natural air; relative humidity (usually meant when the term humidity , the easterly winds,'' said Fire Capt. Tom Kruschke, a spokesman for the Ventura County Fire Department Not to be confused with Ventura Fire Department. The Ventura County Fire Department (VCFD) provides fire protection and emergency response services for the unincorporated areas of Ventura County, California, and for six other cities within the county. . ``Any spark at all is going to ignite a fire,'' he said. Kruschke said Wednesday's fire was the largest in the county this month and a warning to residents to clear away brush and other combustible com·bus·ti·ble adj. Capable of igniting and burning. n. A substance that ignites and burns readily. material near their homes. Firefighters have responded to a small rash of fires through Ventura County in October, as the Santa Ana winds have knocked down power lines and fed the flames of grass fires in open brush fields. More than two acres of brush burned early Tuesday morning in a wind-driven compost compost, substance composed mainly of partly decayed organic material that is applied to fertilize the soil and to increase its humus content; it is often used in vegetable farming, home gardens, flower beds, lawns, and greenhouses. fire in Somis, while in Port Hueneme Port Hueneme (wī'nē`mē), city (1990 pop. 20,319), Ventura co., S Calif., on the Pacific coast; founded 1870, inc. 1948. It has an artificial deep-sea harbor and is the site of a huge naval construction-battalion (Seabee) center. firefighters contained a small grass fire that encroached on residential structures. CAPTION(S): 3 Photos PHOTO (1--color in Simi edition only) A brush fire fueled by Santa Ana winds Wednesday afternoon threatens hillside homes in Thousand Oaks before being extinguished ex·tin·guish tr.v. ex·tin·guished, ex·tin·guish·ing, ex·tin·guish·es 1. To put out (a fire, for example); quench. 2. To put an end to (hopes, for example); destroy. See Synonyms at abolish. 3. . (2--color in Simi edition only) Ventura County firefighters battle a brush fire Wednesday in Thousand Oaks, where more than 60 acres were consumed. (3--color--ran in Conejo edition only) A Ventura County firefighter sets a backfire Wednesday, depriving fuel to an advancing blaze near Queens Way in Thousand Oaks. The fire began at a construction site. Gus Ruelas/Daily News |
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