Southern California wildfire closes major highway

A wildfire in Southern California burned about 1,200 acres of land, forced the closure of parts of a major highway and led to evacuations on Saturday, fire officials said.

More than 600 firefighters were at the scene or en route to battle the blaze in the Solimar Beach area of Ventura County, and parts of the 101 highway had been closed, county fire department spokeswoman Heather Sumagaysay said.

Reopening the highway, a major roadway in the region, is a top priority, she said.

Fire officials had earlier reported that parts of the Pacific Coast Highway also were closed, but Sumagaysay said only a portion that overlaps the 101 was closed. Ventura is about 65 miles northwest of Los Angeles.

No injuries have been reported, but the fire has not been contained, Sumagaysay said. No structures have been damaged by the fire, but nearby Union Pacific rail lines are closed, she said.

Sumagaysay said the fire department had resources committed to fight the fire for the next two to three days, but given the high winds officials do not know how long it will take to contain it.

The fire started at around 11 p.m. local time on Friday, and strong winds and dry vegetation caused it to grow rapidly, she said.

At around 2 a.m. local time on Saturday in a video posted on Facebook, Ventura County Fire Department Captain Steve Kaufman said the fire was near the beach, "bumping up against the roadway. We're getting a bunch of embers in Solimar east."

The Solimar Beach community, where there are 30 homes, and a nearby campground are under a mandatory evacuation order, while a voluntary one has been issued for the nearby Faria Beach community, Sumagaysay said.

Reuters