Blaze near Santa Paula close to containment
Punchbowl Trail remains closed
SANTA PAULA - A burn area in a steep, remote area outside Santa Paula is what remains of a blaze that started July 19 and is 85 percent contained.
"There's just a couple of patches out there," Andrew Madsen, a spokesman for Los Padres National Forest, said of the Canyon Fire. "The geography we're working on doesn't permit us to cut a straight line across it."
A total of seven vegetation fires were initially reported around 7 p.m. July 19 near Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula and boxed in 18 hikers. Of those, seven hikers and a dog were airlifted out by helicopter, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
The fires combined have burned about 35 acres and forced the closure of popular hiking trails, including the Punchbowl Trail near Santa Paula Canyon, officials said.
Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Andrew Madsen's name.