Brush Fire Burns Near Homes in West Hills

A brush fire burned through more than 640 acres in Los Angeles and Ventura counties Sunday, coming within hundreds of feet of homes in West Hills.

The fire, which sent smoke rising hundreds of feet into the air, injured no one and caused no property damage, authorities said.

By Sunday night the fire was 75% contained, said Los Angeles County Fire Capt. Brian Jordan. Full containment was expected early this morning.

The blaze generated fear and excitement among residents near Victory Boulevard and Valley Circle in West Hills. Ashes fell on their cars and smoke seeped into their homes.

Joseph Mamanne said he saw firefighters shoot water at the blaze in his backyard on Wooded Vista near Bell Canyon, a gated hillside community in Ventura County accessible only through Los Angeles County. He said his wife began packing valuables. Mamanne spent the afternoon hosing down his yard, house and car, which were covered with ashes.

“It got very close very quick,” said Mamanne, 43, who was at home with his wife and three boys watching the NBA finals on TV. “My kids were a little bit panicky.”

Gary Ford, 50, said he was driving home when he saw a small glow behind his home on Victory Boulevard near Bell Canyon.

“I could hear the crackling sounds of the flames, but instead of flames, all I saw was a cloud of smoke,” said Ford as he recorded the blaze with a hand-held video camera.

The fire broke out about 2 p.m on the site of the Ahmanson Ranch development near the Los Angeles County border. It started on an undeveloped tract in the southeastern portion of Ventura County, north of the Ventura Freeway and east of Las Virgenes Road.

Dense brush that had not burned in years fed the fire, Jordan said. Winds and the hilly topography may have helped spread the blaze.

The cause of the fire was under investigation.

More than 400 firefighters from the Los Angeles County, Ventura County and Los Angeles fire departments, and the California Department of Forestry, fought the blaze. Five helicopters and three air tankers dropped water and fire retardant on it, Jordan said.

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Staff writer Zanto Peabody and Times Community News Correspondent Katie Cooper contributed to this story.