Blaze Chars 100 Acres Near Lockwood Valley

A brush fire scorched about 100 acres of the Los Padres National Forest in a sparsely populated area near Lockwood Valley on Saturday afternoon and continued to burn uncontrolled Saturday night, U.S. Forest Service officials said.

The fire--the largest in Los Padres so far this year--started about 3:45 p.m. in remote backcountry between Lockwood Valley and Frazier Park, officials said. The cause had not been determined Saturday night, but officials said it might have been arson.

Structures in the rolling high desert area were threatened by the blaze, and residents of at least one ranch evacuated on their own, Forest Service spokesman Jim Youngson said.

“We have been moving very fast on this,” Youngson said. “We are hoping to get it out tonight.”

Ventura County Sheriff’s Department officials and their families were poised to evacuate the Lockwood Valley substation as flames came within 100 yards of the facility Saturday evening.

“They said it was about a football field away,” Lt. Gary Backman said. “They are standing by in case there is a need to evacuate.”

Officials did evacuate several Sheriff’s Department horses, Lt. Gary Markley said. Two sheriff’s deputies and their families live at the Lockwood Valley Road substation and adjacent residences.

Lockwood Valley is about an hour north of Ojai, about 15 miles off California 33. Lockwood Valley Road, the main road into the valley, was closed at its junction with California 33, officials said.

“It is certainly a concern to us,” Markley said of the fire. “It is a pretty good size.”

The U.S. Forest Service dispatched eight air tankers, two helicopters and 15 engines to fight the blaze, which officials are calling the Grade Valley fire because of its proximity to Grade Valley Road.

A strike team of five engines from the Ventura County Fire Department also was called to protect threatened homes or structures.

Officials were optimistic Saturday night that moderate fire conditions and cool evening temperatures would aid them in putting out the blaze.

“Fires this early in the year with the kind of wet season we’ve had don’t do very well,” Youngson said. “We’re banking on that.”