A new brush fire broke out in Ventura County Thursday night, creating highly visible flames and smoke coming off of South Mountain, between Moorpark and Santa Paula.
Ventura County firefighters say the Maria Fire was spotted just after 6 p.m. It appeared to have started on the mountaintop where there a number of broadcast facilities.
Wind is whipping the flames. The wind isn't predicted to be as strong as it was Wednesday night, but it's still believed to be in the 20 to 30 mile an hour range.
No homes are reported to be in immediate danger, but the flames are visible for miles. Ventura County firefighters have some bulldozers on scene.
Firefighters are trying to keep the blaze in a box south of Highway 126, north of Los Angeles Avenue, east of Vineyard, and west of Balcom Canyon. It's the same strategy they used to keep the Easy Fire in Simi Valley from spreading into homes.
