2 Cited in Fire That Scorched Hillside
Two Meiners Oaks men were cited Thursday for igniting a fire Sunday that scorched 15 acres of hillside brush near Seneca Street on the west end of Ventura, fire officials said.
Thomas Lee Brown, 34, and Noah Gordon, 18, were off-roading in the area about 3 p.m. when the exhaust system of their Chevy pickup truck sparked the blaze, according to the Ventura County Fire Department.
Arson investigators believe the pair left the scene after seeing the fire and failed to make a report to authorities. Both men were cited with a misdemeanor and released.
The fire, which burned city and county land, took 80 firefighters five hours to extinguish. There were no injuries, but flames came within 200 yards of several homes, authorities said.
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