A wildfire broke out in northern Simi Valley on Wednesday afternoon, threatening several homes before firefighters were able to get the blaze under control.
About 200 firefighters were battling the Sharp blaze amid a stifling heatwave that was expected to last for several more days.
The fire broke out at 1:47 p.m. in the hills off Sharp Road near Ditch Road, said Andrew Dowd, public information officer for the Ventura County Fire Department. One firefighter was hospitalized Wednesday with minor heat-related injuries, Dowd said.
The blaze, which has been mapped and covers 133 acres, was burning in grass and brush at medium to light intensity, he said. Firefighters had increased containment to 15% by Wednesday evening.
About 60 homes along Ditch Road were ordered evacuated and a temporary evacuation point was established at the Rancho Santa Susana Community Center. By about 6:15 p.m., all evacuation orders and warnings had been lifted and the evacuation point was deactivated.
Authorities asked that the public continue to avoid the area to allow crews to work.
