Strike team sent to combat California brush fire

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.

About 600 area firefighters are continuing to battle the blaze and are being assisted by at least two water-dropping helicopters. The blaze forced the closure of parts of U.S. Highway 101 but the major roadway was opened to traffic by late afternoon, officials said.

The wind-driven wildfire broke out Christmas night and quickly grew, at one point jumping the 101 Freeway, prompting a full closure through the Ventura area and up to the Santa Barbara County line.

The blaze burning over 1,200 acres already in Solimar Beach. In a press briefing Saturday morning, authorities said homes were under mandatory evacuation in the Solimar Beach community and another 30 homes were subject to voluntary evacuation in Faria Beach.

Images from the area showed flames being whipped into the sky by high winds as the fire burned surrounding hills and up against the 101. A Cal Fire inmate hand crew work to remove brush to prevent a wildfire from spreading a remote oil field access road in Ventura County, Calif., on Saturday, Dec. 26, 2015. However, no homes burned and the evacuations were lifted by nightfall.

The wind is the factor that is causing most concerns to firefighters because it was blowing at 25- 35 miles per hour on Saturday and strong north winds are predicted to take place today.

With the six-lane highway remaining closed in both directions on a roughly 15-mile stretch northwest between state highways, multiple vehicles, mostly holiday motorists, tried to find their way through narrow backcountry roads.

Officials, meanwhile, are still determining what caused the fire.

A Red Cross shelter was set up at the Carpinteria Veteran Memorial, 941 Walnut Ave., Carpinteria. Only two firefighters suffered minor injuries, while there were no civilian casualties reported.