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Firefighters get upper hand on Ventura County wildfire

Some 500 firefighters are battling a wildfire near Lake Piru.
Ventura County Fire Department
Some 500 firefighters are battling a wildfire near Lake Piru.

Blaze chars about 300 acres of land near Lake Piru.

Firefighters now have the upper hand on a 300 acre brush fire in eastern Ventura County, near Lake Piru.

The fire was discovered just before 1 p.m. Thursday. It forced the evacuation of the Lake Piru Recreation area, and about five homes.

More than 500 firefighters are battling the blaze. Because of rugged terrain in the area, helicopters and air tankers are playing a key role in the firefight. By around 8 p.m., the growth of the fire was stopped, and firefighters reported 14% containment.

There’s no word on the cause of the fire. No structure damage has been reported.

Lance Orozco has been News Director of KCLU since 2001, providing award-winning coverage of some of the biggest news events in the region, including the Thomas and Woolsey brush fires, the deadly Montecito debris flow, the Borderline Bar and Grill attack, and Ronald Reagan's funeral.