A roughly 28-acre brush fire, dubbed the Country Fire, broke out Thursday afternoon in the Thousand Oaks area and threatened some homes and prompted evacuations, Ventura County Fire Department said.
As of 6:40 p.m., the Fire Department lifted all evacuation orders, and containment reached 70% just after 10 p.m.
Three teens were taken into custody as persons of interest found near the point of the fire’s origin, a Fire Department spokesperson on scene told KTLA.
The hot dry and windy weather was believed to be a contributing factor in the fire.
The evacuation orders had been announced for Via Colinas and Country Valley Road, as well as portions of Lakeview Boulevard.
Thousand Oaks Boulevard from Lakeview Canyon to Via Merida was closed and all access to Lake View Boulevard and Via Merida was shut down, the fire officials said in a tweet.
At 6 p.m., fire officials said Via Merida was now open to residents only and Country Valley Road would be open to residents soon.
The Fire Department reported shortly after 3:30 p.m. that firefighters were dispatched to what was then a 1-acre fire.
Both ground crews and aircraft crews were working together to extinguish the flames. About 60 firefighting resources are battling the flames.
One firefighter sustained injuries and was taken to a local hospital for evaluation.
As of around 6:30 p.m., the fire crews were focusing on protecting structures as the fire was spreading toward Via Colinas and Country Valley Road.
The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office conducted traffic control and notified nearby residents.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
