Ventura County firefighters battled strong wind and rugged terrain to keep a fast moving brush fire from damaging homes in the eastern part of the county.
The 250 acre fire broke out just before 5 p.m. Thursday near Erbes Road in Thousand Oaks. It moved through a canyon near the border of Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley. At one point, 30 to 40 foot high flames moved through parts of the canyon and up hillsides.
Firefighters focused on protecting homes which were adjacent to the canyon. Some voluntary evacuation orders were issued for some homes in the area. Despite the strong wind, helicopters were able to make water drops to help stop the spread of the blaze. Bulldozers were used on the rugged slopes to build fire lines.
By 6 p.m., firefighters had the upper hand on the blaze. Mopup work is expected to continue into Friday. There's no word on the cause of the fire.
