California IN BRIEF : VENTURA COUNTY : Fires Under Control; Arson Is Suspected

Three wildfires that scorched 2,400 acres around Santa Paula and Fillmore on Tuesday were all but extinguished Wednesday as fire officials intensified efforts to find out who set them. Investigators said they are certain that the fires were arson, and “there’s a strong possibility that all three fires were set by the same person,” department spokeswoman Shonna Perry said. By early Wednesday afternoon, two of the fires were contained, or surrounded by secure fire lines: the South Mountain blaze, which burned 1,000 acres south of Santa Paula, and the Mupu fire, which scorched 900 acres north of the city. The third blaze, which began near Shiells Canyon south of Fillmore, had not been contained, but with the slackening of the Santa Ana winds on Wednesday firefighters expected to have no problem bringing it under control.