One of the big hot spots for Southern California’s 115,000 acre Thomas brush fire yesterday was a tiny beachfront community between Ventura and Santa Barbara which survived the flames not just once, but twice.
Harrison Stroud opened the front door to his beachfront home west of Ventura, and saw 40’ high flames across the highway from the house.
He says it was very scary, which is saying a lot coming from a 90 plus year old World War II combat veteran. Stroud has lived on the cost for more than three decades, and says he’s never seen anything like this fire.
Stroud and his wife evacuated their Faria Beach home Tuesday, as flames burned down from the mountains and jumped Highway 101 to threaten dozens of coastal homes. The neighborhood escaped untouched. The Strouds returned home, only to have wind driven embers threaten the community a second time midday Thursday. Massive flames engulfed thick brush in a field between Highway 101 and the homes.
No homes were damaged. Stroud says he’d love to hug each and every one of the firefighters.
