Firefighters Battle Blaze Along 118 Freeway

A brush fire that started alongside the 118 Freeway at about noon Friday is approximately 20 percent contained, with about 78 acres burned, said Capt. Ron Oatman of the Ventura County Fire Department.

Oatman said he expects the bulk of the firefighters will be on the scene until about midnight, with some staying to watch for flareups.

The fire is in what Oatman called a "medium fuel" location—between the Collins Drive and Madera Road exists, just west of the Moorpark/Simi Valley boundary—meaning it has some chaparral, but is not highly vegetated. So far, there's hasn't been threat to any structures.

Oatman said the fire started when the left front tire of an 18-wheeler truck traveling west bound on the freeway came completely off, bouncing across the freeway and causing metal on the truck to grind against the road and send sparks into the brush along the freeway. The truck driver successfully maneuvered the truck to the side of the road before noting the fire.

Initially, the call was for a small fire, but once firefighters were on scene, they saw potential for a much larger burn, said Oatman.

"We wanted to hit this hard and fast," said Oatman. "I think we are successful."

To hit it hard, the department called out a total of 20 engines, two helicopters, two bulldozers, five hand crews and two air tankers.

At about 3:30 p.m., shortly before rush hour, the 118 Freeway's westbound lanes were backed up to the Madera Road onramp. The eastbound lanes were backed up near to Princeton Avenenue.