India, June 17 -- As crews worked to put out avegetation fire sparked along the Santa Clara River bottom in Ventura County in the afternoon of June 16, a bigger brush fire broke out along the river,near a community about 17 miles east. In addition to the Maria Fire in Santa Paula, the new fire, dubbed the Howe Fire, was estimated to be about 40 acres as of 7 pm, according to Ventura County Fire. It was burning in steep terrain south of the community of Piru, according to KTLA 5. Noting that there were high-tension power lines in the area, the fire department requested a second alarm response.

VCFD shared in an X post, "#HoweFire - A vegetation fire is burning in steep terrain south of the community of Piru and the Santa Clara River. The ...