Solimar Beach Brush Fire 70 Percent Contained, Evacuation Orders Lifted

Maaike Maks posted a dramatic video on Twitter showing how close the fire was to her vehicle as she and her Dutch family passed by late Christmas night.

The bushfire in Solimar Beach was ignited by a downed power line on Friday night, with strong winds of up to 25 miles per hour helping to spread the blaze.

As of Saturday, some 600 firefighters were at the scene while four helicopters dumped water on the blaze.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection announced on Saturday morning the fire was only 10% contained as it reached 1,200 acres. Ojai residents were advised to use caution while traveling or cycling near Highway 150 between Oak View and Carpinteria due to heavy traffic caused by the closures. The evacuation order was lifted by nightfall and a stretch of the scenic Pacific Coast Highway was reopened.

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.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

The firefighters’ biggest concern remains the wind, which was blowing at 25- to 35-mph in the area on Saturday. By mid-afternoon Saturday, two firefighters had sustained minor injuries while battling the fire, Lindbery said later. Enlarge Chuck Kirman/AP A train passes a burned area along Highway 101 in Ventura, Calif. A fire official later said containment was under 10 percent.

Fire officials had earlier reported that parts of the Pacific Coast Highway also were closed, but a fire department spokeswoman said that only a portion that overlaps 101 was closed.

A Red Cross shelter is at the Carpinteria Veteran Memorial, 941 Walnut Ave., Carpinteria. Voluntary evacuations had begun in Solimar Beach and with campers at Emma Wood State Park, according to reports. Caltrans conducted a survey on the damage to the northbound and southbound lanes of the 101 Freeway.

“We are a family of five and spending the holidays in Santa Barbara”, she said.