Firefighters Battle 900-Acre Brush Fire in Solimar Beach

Residents of Solimar Beach – where there are 30 homes and a nearby campground – have been ordered to leave, while a voluntary evacuation has been issued for the nearby Faria Beach community.

The Ventura County Office of Emergency Services said all evacuation orders are expected to be lifted at 5 p.m. today.

The 101 Freeway was shut down for hours in both directions between state highways 33 and 150 and have re-opened.

At its peak, the fire closed a 15-mile stretch of an adjacent, six-lane freeway, USA 101.

The fire was just 10 percent contained as of late this morning, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Smoke on the freeway prompted multiple calls from motorists.

Wind may have felled the power line, he said. More than 600 firefighters battled the blaze in the Solimar Beach area of Ventura County, and parts of U.S. Highway 101 had been closed, county fire department officials said at a news conference.

Officials have said it could take at least three days to get the fire fully under control. ‘It’s a very dynamic fire. No structures have so far been reported damaged. We’re not quite out of the woods yet’.

The fire started at around 11pm local time on Friday, and strong winds and dry vegetation caused it to grow rapidly, she said.

Winds blew embers from the fire overnight and ignited a 2-acre spot fire that was visible from the 101 Freeway, Ventura County Fire Department Capt. Mike Lindbery tweeted shortly before 6 a.m.

“There was nobody stopping us on the highway as we got closer and closer, so we thought it was totally safe for us to drive past it”, Maaike Maks told CNN.

A Red Cross shelter was also set up to help any victims or evacuees who need assistance.