As firefighters continued to battle a damaging 1,236-acre fire near Ventura County’s Solimar Beach, two flare ups broke out, highlighting the dangers Sunday morning’s strong winds posed.
The Solimar Fire, located about 6 miles northwest of Ventura, was 75 percent contained by 5:30 p.m. Sunday, officials said.
Firefighters were making “good progress” in their work to contain the blaze, extinguishing smoldering vegetation near the line and stopping its spread to unburned brush, according to the Ventura County Fire Department.
A spot fire that erupted when embers were pushed by high winds onto unburned vegetation was quickly extinguished in the early morning hours, according to the Fire Department.
With crews inching toward completing the containment line, officials expected it to be fully controlled by Tuesday.
The wind-driven wildfire broke out Christmas night and quickly grew, at one point jumping the 101 Freeway, prompting a full closure through the Ventura area and up to the Santa Barbara County line.
The typically congested roadway reopened Saturday afternoon, after officials warned that it could be closed again if the fire’s speed and direction changed.
Mandatory evacuations affecting some 50 to 60 residents near the Solimar Beach area were also lifted that day. Emma Wood State Beach was reopened, and no evacuation or closures caused by the fire remained in place, county fire officials said.
Winds blew embers from the fire overnight and ignited a 2-acre spot fire that was visible from the 101 Freeway, Ventura County Fire Department Capt. Mike Lindbery tweeted shortly before 6 a.m.
Firefighters aggressively attacked the fire, which was “stirred up by a strong north wind,” and it was knocked down, according to the Fire Department.
The spot fire was one of two flare ups overnight that occurred during a wind advisory issued by the National Weather Service.
The advisory expired at noon Sunday and warned of northeast winds between 20 to 30 mph and gusts up to 50 mph.
About 426 firefighters remained at the scene as of Sunday morning after 600 responded the previous day.
Two of the firefighters sustained minor injuries — one to the ankle and the second to the knee.
No structures were damaged, but there were “numerous miscellaneous vegetation fires in and amongst that Solimar community,” Battalion Chief Fred Burris said.
The cause of the initial blaze was believed to be a downed power line.
Responding agencies included the Ventura County Fire Department, Ventura City Fire Department, Santa Paula City Fire Department, Santa Barbara County Fire Department, Cal Fire, Los Angeles County Fire Department, Ventura County Sheriff’s Office, California Highway Patrol Santa Monica Fire Department, Orange County Fire Authority and Kern County Fire Department.
KTLA’s Tracy Bloom contributed to this story.