Ventura Fire Shuts Down South Coast Train Traffic
[UPDATE]: Quarter-Acre Fire Under Control
A quarter-acre brush fire reported at 5:14 p.m. is currently burning along the bed of the mostly dried-out Santa Clara River next to southbound Highway 101 near the Ventura Road exit.
According to a Ventura County Fire Department spokesperson, train service in the area has been stopped as the blaze has already burned several railroad ties. Vehicle traffic has not been affected.
Ten firefighting units are on the scene, including a helicopter and an inspector, the spokesperson said.
A similarly small fire broke out this Sunday at around 3 p.m. in the same area. Three acres were affected, and car traffic was diverted for approximately two hours. Officials are looking into the cause of both fires.
[UPDATE: The fire has been contained, but multi-agency responding crews remain on the scene in mop-up mode. Train service is still halted. Cars are free to travel along Highway 101 in the affected area.]
