Hillside Blaze Chars 4 Acres and Threatens Homes
Authorities are investigating the cause of a fire that blackened a hillside and threatened dozens of homes Sunday in northeast Thousand Oaks.
About 40 firefighters from six engine companies responded to the fire, which started about 10:30 a.m. on a dry, grassy hillside adjacent to Parkview Drive.
The blaze charred about four acres of land before firefighters contained it shortly after 11:50 a.m.
No injuries and no damage were reported.
As the fire swept east toward Kensington Avenue, frightened residents scrambled to protect their property with shovels and garden hoses.
“It was really scary,†Karen Moore said, after flames came within 30 feet of her Chaucer Place home. “The wall of fire came so fast that you really didn’t know where it was going to stop.†Moore said her family quickly watered down their lawn and home.
Moore and Fire Department personnel credited a recent weed-abatement program for protecting the expensive homes that line the cul-de-sacs and narrow streets.
“As soon as it hit that line where it had been cleared, the fire went right down,†she said. “It just stopped.â€
Authorities have not determined the cause of the fire, but arson investigators were on the scene.
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