Winter wildfire rips through Southern California, forcing evacuations and major highway closures

The freeway is a major route connecting Northern and Southern California and its closure forced holiday motorists to narrow backcountry roads.

Helicopters and fixed-wing tankers were helping to battle the blaze with water drops. The fire started around 10:30 p.m. Friday, burning about 100 acres in the 3000 block of West Pacific Coast Highway.

A wind advisory will remain in effect for parts of Ventura and Los Angeles counties through noon Sunday, said Stuart Ceto, a weather specialist with the National Weather Service.

The brush fire has gone on to burn 1,250 acres in the Solimar Beach area near Ventura, California, triggering mandatory evacuations and temporarily shuttering the 101 Freeway in both directions.

The area has been under a high wind warning as gusts in the area reached 55 miles per hour overnight.

Some families who evacuated because of the Solimar Fire returned home Saturday, and recalled how close the fire came to their homes.

Ventura County Fire Department firefighters spray a hot spot along Highway 101 in Ventura, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 26, 2015. “We’re getting a bunch of embers in Solimar east”.

The Ventura County Fire Department reported two minor injuries to firefighters, one an ankle injury and the other an injury to a knee.

Officials said no homes were immediately being threatened, adding that evacuations were still in place.

Officials said Saturday they did not know how the fire started.

Maaike Maks and her clan recorded the “big and frightening” flames at approximately 11 p.m. on Friday and posted the terrifying video on Twitter.

Planning on heading home along the Highway 101 today?

A private power line downed by offshore winds was blamed for the fast-moving brushfire, firefighters said. However, working through the night, firefighters managed to control 60 percent of the inferno and reopened the highway by 2:05 p.m. Fire Department Capt. Mike Lindbery tweeted, confirming the news.