A new brush fire which started in Ventura County in the mountains between Moorpark and Santa Paula quickly grew to more than 4000 acres, and challenged firefighters to battle it because of its remote location.
The Maria Fire started on South Mountain, exploding in size as wind pushed it through the mountain range.
There are about 1800 structures and 7500 people living in a mandatory evacuation area. The area is bordered on the north by South Mountain Road, on the south by Highway 118, on the east by Balcom Canyon Road and on the west by West Los Angeles Avenue.
A shelter for evacuees has been set up at the Camaraillo Community Center.
