Firefighters are working to tamp down the last few flare-ups of a brush fire that scorched 22 acres in Ventura yesterday and today. The blaze began at around 4:00 p.m. Thursday. Officials believe it may have been started by a campfire near a riverbed frequented by homeless people.
The fire briefly threatened the Brooks Institute campus in the 5300 block of Ventura Avenue; 150 were evacuated from the photography and film school Thursday afternoon. The fire also came close to a nearby Southern California Edison property and an abandoned oil field, but no damage or injuries have been reported.
With rising temperatures and Santa Ana winds gusting through the area, firefighters will remain on the scene through the rest of the day, officials said.