Casitas Fire: Brush fire breaks out in Ventura County

There is a brush fire burning in the Casitas Springs area in Ventura County called the Casitas Fire, Ventura County Fire Department public safety dispatcher Niki Blackwood told KPCC. 

The fire was moving toward structures, Ventura County Fire Capt. Mike Lindbery said on Twitter. Authorities anticipated the fire growing between 20 and 30 acres before sundown, Blackwood said.

https://twitter.com/VCFD_PIO/status/725804929751740418

Highway 33 had been shut down in the area due to the fire, which began along Highway 33 before moving up into the nearby mountain range, Blackwood said.

There were power lines nearby that authorities were working to protect, according to a tweet from Lindbery.

The fire was burning near North Ventura Avenue and Casitas Vista Road, Lindbery said on Twitter. The fire is just north of Ventura and south of Ojai, Blackwood said. It's a rural area, Blackwood said, though there are some farms nearby. The fire was burning on a mountainside.

The fire was a second alarm fire, Blackwood said. Additional air tankers and helicopters had been ordered. Los Angeles County Fire Department's air operations team tweeted that they were assisting with the fire.

The fire started at 1:57 p.m., according to Blackwood. There were no reports of evacuations, structures threatened or containment as of shortly after 3 p.m. on Thursday afternoon. It was also unknown when the fire might be put out.

There was what was described as "medium fuel" for the fire, Blackwood said.

Fire Tracker: Casitas Fire

This story has been updated.