Firefighters beat back South fire in Ventura County; evacuation orders lifted

Ventura County firefighters continued to make steady progress Sunday in their battle against a 2,900-acre fire near the town of Somis, lifting previous evacuation orders.

The so-called South fire, which was first reported Saturday on South Mountain, is currently 15% contained and more improvement is expected soon, the Ventura County Fire Department said in a video message on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter.

As of 8 a.m., evacuation orders were also lifted in the towns of Somis and Santa Paula. An evacuation warning remains in effect in the Saticoy Country Club area, but authorities expect to lift that warning at or before 5 p.m. Sunday.

“We made good progress last night,” Ventura County Fire Department spokesman Andy VanSciver said. “There is no smoke that can be seen.”

More information on the existing evacuation warning and lifted orders can be found at vcemergency.com

The South fire broke out Saturday fueled by Santa Ana winds that blew through many parts of the Southland.

In Riverside County, a vegetation fire broke out as well in the town of Cabazon, growing to 65 acres by early afternoon Saturday.

As of Sunday morning the fire was 65% contained, an improvement from 15% containment Saturday afternoon, according to a social media update from California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the Riverside County Fire Department.

There is a danger of windy conditions in inland and mountain areas Sunday but that should dissipate as the day progresses, according to the weather service.

There is a high-wind warning in effect until 12 p.m. for the Santa Susana Mountains and less severe wind advisories for much of Ventura County and western portions of L.A. County, including areas of the San Fernando Valley, Santa Clarita Valley and Malibu. Winds of 20 to 30 mph with gusts of up to 45 mph are expected in some areas.

Red flag warnings should lift by 3 p.m., said Rose Schoenfeld, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.