String of small fires in and around Ventura Monday keep crews busy

Staff reports

The Ventura River bottom, at left, looking north from the bike trail toward the Main Street bridge.

Firefighters responded to a string of small fires in and around Ventura Monday.

The busy day for firefighters started with a small vegetation fire along the Ventura River bottom Monday afternoon.

Reports of smoke came in shortly after 2:20 p.m. around Highway 101 and Main Street in west Ventura. Crews later described finding a slow-moving brush fire, about 10 feet by 10 feet, near the bike path there. Firefighters said they could be handle it with units on scene.

Separately, at about 2:30 p.m., a vehicle fire with heavy smoke was reported nearby along the transition from southbound Highway 33 to Highway 101. Crews eventually located the incident, which had originally been reported near the Main Street offramp, and said there was a small spot fire on the side of the road that a single unit could handle.

On Monday night, another small brush fire was reported just south of Ventura city limits. It was reported shortly before 7:30 p.m. in the Santa Clara River bottom south of the Olivas Links Golf Course and east of Harbor Boulevard. Crews had a difficult time accessing the site. After 8 p.m. they estimated the fire at about a quarter of an acre and expected to be on scene for two hours.

Then, at about 8:36 p.m., another vegetation fire was reported near a traffic ramp at Victoria Avenue and Highway 126, near the Ventura County Government Center. Crews first arriving at the scene said it was about a 35- to 40- foot spot fire with two trees involved and was burning with vigor. Additional units arrived to help tackle the blaze. At 9:05 p.m., crews said they had knocked down the fire and expected to be on scene for another hour.

At around 9:35 p.m., crews responded to what they described as a small homeless warming fire generally near the Ventura County Fairgrounds.

At 9:45 p.m., after searching for a reported vehicle fire near the Patagonia store on Santa Clara Street , crews found it in a parking area off Main Street. They later described it as a fully engulfed vehicle fire and requested a Ventura police officer come to the scene.