A wildfire in Southern California burned about 1,100 acres (445 hectares) of land, forced the closure of parts of a major highway and led to evacuations yesterday, fire officials said.
More than 500 firefighters were at the scene or en route to battle the blaze in the Solimar Beach area of Ventura County, and parts of the 101 highway had been closed, county fire department spokeswoman Heather Sumagaysay said.
Reopening the highway, a major roadway in the region, is a top priority, she said.
Fire officials had earlier reported that parts of the Pacific Coast highway also were closed, but Sumagaysay said she was not aware of that.
Ventura is about 65 miles (104km) northwest of Los Angeles.
No injuries have been reported, but the fire has not been contained, Sumagaysay said.
No structures have been damaged by the fire, but nearby Union Pacific rail lines are closed, she said.
The fire started around 11pm local time on Friday, and strong winds and dry vegetation caused it to grow rapidly, she said.
Around 2am local time yesterday in a video posted on Facebook, Ventura County Fire Department Captain Steve Kaufman said the fire was near the beach, “bumping up against the roadway. We’re getting a bunch of embers in Solimar east”.
The Solimar Beach community is under a mandatory evacuation order, while a voluntary one has been issued for the nearby Faria Beach community, fire officials said.
The fire that is threatening about 30 homes has also swept through an area with an extensive network of oil wells and underground pipelines, Ventura County Fire Department spokesman Mike Lindbery told AFP, adding he did not believe any had been ignited by the flames.
The fire was currently uncontained, he added.
A Red Cross shelter has been set up for residents.