Firefighters knocked down a brush fire burning in a rural area southeast of Ventura.
The fire was discovered just before 8 a.m. Wednesday, near Olivas Park. It was burning in the Santa Clara River bed. It initially put up a large cloud of smoke.
No structures were threatened, but more than a dozen people had to be evacuated from some homeless camps in the area.
About 100 firefighters aided by helicopters stopped the growth of the blaze in about two hours. The cause is under investigation.
