ORIGINAL STORY:
Firefighters responded to a brush fire that broke out in the northeastern part of Thousand Oaks and grew to 250 acres Thursday evening, forcing nearby residents to temporarily evacuate, according to the Ventura County Fire Department.
The fire was first reported at 4:54 p.m. in the area of Erbes Road and Westland Avenue. Dubbed the Erbes Fire, the blaze burned near Erbes Road and east of Highway 23.
Around 7 p.m., firefighters appeared to have gained the upper hand of the fire with forward progress stopped. Evacuation orders were lifted for homes west of Erbes Road around 8 p.m. Things were moving pretty quickly initially but firefighters have done a great job getting on this, said Capt. Eric Buschow, of the Ventura County Sheriff s Office. The winds have settled down significantly.
A brush fire ignited Thursday evening in Thousand Oaks, prompting evacuations as Santa Ana winds pushed the flames toward some homes, authorities said.
A brush fire prompted voluntary evacuations Thursday evening in a Thousand Oaks community. The fire was burning near Erbes Road and Westland Avenue in Thousand.
Ventura County firefighters battled strong wind and rugged terrain to keep a fast moving brush fire from damaging homes in the eastern part of the county.