Air support was brought in to help fight a brush fire on the northeast end of Piru. Two helicopters were requested in addition to at least plane, according to the Ventura County Fire Department. Witnesses said aircraft dropped flame retardant on the site before the plane or planed were released from the scene at 7:44 p.m. to return to Porterville. Winds were reported in the area as darkness started to fall. Earlier, ground crews seemed to have a difficult time reaching the location via Edison Road. There were apparently several locked gates hindering the route. A witness said the north end of the fire was on private property. Earlier, the fire had been reported at three to five acres. It was unclear how large the fire had grown at 7:45 p.m. The California Highway Patrol reported that a hillside was on fire. Crews reported at 7:40 p.m. that no buildings were threatened. The area was reported to have light to medium brush. It is near North Main Street and Piru Canyon Road on the west side of Piru Creek. The patrol was brought in to help with traffic control and reported that it had closed Piru Canyon Road. The fire was initially reported at 6:15 p.m. Wednesday. © 2013 Ventura County Star. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Posted on: Thu, 29 Aug 2013 03:13:25 +0000