700-Acre Los Padres Fire 85% Contained

Two people target-shooting in Los Padres National Forest caused a fire that blackened up to 700 acres over two days, according to the U. S. Forest Service. The blaze was 85% contained Wednesday night and firefighters expected it to be completely doused by today.

“These adults were shooting in a legal shooting area near Kings Campground. An investigation is continuing,” Forest Service investigators said in a press release.

Dennis Bouslaugh, an agency spokesman, would not elaborate on the statement but said no arrests have been made.

The fire, which has cost $350,000 to fight thus far, may end up costing $600,000, officials said.

More than 600 firefighters from eight federal, state and local departments were tackling the blaze, dubbed the Kings Fire after the campground where it began. The blaze broke out Tuesday afternoon on the western border of the Hungry Valley State Vehicular Recreation Area.

The area is in northeastern Ventura County about four miles south of Frazier Park and nine miles west of the Golden State Freeway.

“They had a very good go at it this afternoon and there were not a lot of wind problems,” Joe Pasinato, spokesman for the U. S. Forest Service, said Wednesday. “It’s looking pretty good for us.”

At one point Wednesday morning, three helicopters and eight air tankers were spraying synthetic fire retardant while dozens of hand crews dug a line around the fire to stop it from spreading, federal fire officials said.

There were no reports of injuries and there are no homes in the immediate area of the fire, officials said.

Bouslaugh said he did not expect the blaze to be fully contained until 6 p.m. today, mainly because of the relatively dry air.

“Normally, a fire won’t burn above 26% humidity, but at 18% [Wednesday’s level], it’ll burn really good,” he said.

Despite temperatures in the 90s and low humidity, the fire did not spread Wednesday. Billows of thick smoke that were spotted Tuesday afternoon and evening from several miles away were not readily visible Wednesday.

Federal arson investigators remained on the scene Wednesday night to examine the origin of the fire, which occurred at or very near Kings Campground on Gold Hill Road, which runs along the recreation area’s western boundary.

A man riding an all-terrain vehicle near the campground spotted flames about 2 p.m. Tuesday and called authorities. Fire officials believe that there may have been campers at Kings Campground when the fire broke out.

Firefighters from the Forest Service, California Department of Forestry, and Ventura, Los Angeles, Kern and Santa Barbara counties were on the job, officials said.

The fire is the first major blaze in Ventura County since the start of the fire season June 1.

There have been at least four other smaller brush fires that burned less than five acres each, fire officials said.

Talev is a Times staff writer and Wolcott is a reporter for Times Community News. Times Community News reporter Massie Ritsch contributed to this report.