Firefighters are battling a new brush fire that broke out near Santa Paula Thursday morning.
The blaze, dubbed the Briggs Fire, has burned an estimated 50 acres in a river bottom area marked by rugged terrain, the Ventura County Fire Department tweeted just after 9 a.m.
The fire was burning near Highway 126 in a remote area between Saticoy and Santa Paula.
Hand crews were hiking to the scene and bulldozers were trying to clear a path for fire vehicles, which were currently unable to reach the fire, Fire Department Capt. Ziegler said.
Aircraft were on scene to assist with the fire and were making water drops in the canyon.
Structure protection crews are in the Saticoy Country Club area to keep an eye on some homes there, Ziegler said. “Right now those homes are not in any imminent threat,” he said.
At one point officials estimated the blaze may have burned between 75 and 100 acres but later downgraded that number.
There was no word on what may have caused the blaze.
#Briggsfire: Update…approx. 50 acres in rugged terrain. Handcrews and dozers accessing fire. Helicopter water drops making good progress. @VCFD, @VCAirUnit pic.twitter.com/a7yhjE823v
— VCFD PIO (@VCFD_PIO) November 15, 2018
#Briggsfire With very limited access by ground, C6 and C308 continue to make water drops in the canyon. A temporary nighttime helispot has been set up at Kimball Park. @VCSORomanoBassi @VCFD @SBCOUNTYFIRE @VenturaCityFD pic.twitter.com/8Bj3SquQjl
— VenturaCoAirUnit (@VCAirUnit) November 15, 2018
