The Grande Fire tore through steep brush near Piru on Thursday, moving fast enough to trigger evacuation warnings for rural areas east of Lake Piru toward the Los Angeles County line. Firefighting aircraft and a large ground force were rushed to the remote blaze as crews tried to corral the flames on rugged, hard-to-reach slopes. Thick smoke drifted into nearby communities, and officials urged residents to stay alert and ready for changing conditions.
County issues evacuation warnings
The Ventura County emergency page lists the incident as “GRANDE FIRE 2D PIRU”. It shows evacuation warnings in place for PIRU 01, PIRU 14 and CDER 01 2D, broadly covering areas east of Lake Piru to the Los Angeles County line, according to Ventura County Emergency Information. County officials are urging people in those zones to follow directions from public-safety personnel on the ground and to keep an eye on the incident dashboard for live updates.
Crews, aircraft battling steep brush
According to CBS Los Angeles, the Ventura County Fire Department reported that the blaze had burned about 50 acres and was spreading at a moderate rate through steep, hard-to-access terrain. VCFD told CBS that “multiple fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters are assigned to the incident along with over 100 firefighters,” a serious air-and-ground lineup for a fire in such rugged country. Residents were also advised to keep windows and doors closed to limit smoke coming indoors.
Weather made the fire more dangerous
The National Weather Service had already warned of elevated to brief critical fire-weather conditions inland this week, with warm, dry air and gusty afternoon winds capable of turning small brush fires into much larger runs, according to the National Weather Service Los Angeles/Oxnard. Those ingredients make containment even tougher on steep slopes and help push smoke into populated areas.
How to stay safe
Officials are urging residents in the warning zones to sign up for VC Alert notifications, follow instructions from on-scene public-safety personnel and check the county’s incident dashboard for the latest on evacuation warnings and potential changes, according to Ventura County Emergency Information. For public-information contacts and media inquiries, see the contact page for the Ventura County Fire Department.
This story will be updated as county officials and fire agencies release new information. In the meantime, residents with respiratory issues should limit outdoor exposure while smoke is in the area, and everyone is asked to steer clear of the fire zone so emergency vehicles can move freely.
