Strike team sent to combat California brush fire

The Orange County Fire Authority (OCFA) in the western U.S. state of California confirmed Saturday that they have sent a strike team to assist in battling a wind-driven major brush fire in a beach in the neighboring Ventura County.

The strike team, consisting of 18 firefighters, was dispatched at 6:44 a.m. to join more than 600 others in battling the blaze pushed by a strong northwest wind, which has spread to least 1,250 acres (506 hectares) of land, and which currently poses a threat to oil, gas, power and rail infrastructure, according to the Ventura County Sheriff Department's Office of Emergency Services.

The fire was just 10 percent contained as of late this morning, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. It started at 10:42 p.m. Friday six miles (9.6 kilometers) northwest of Ventura, north of the 101 Freeway.

Officials said no homes were under immediate threat, although evacuations were still in place in areas affected.

The 101 Freeway was shut down for hours in both directions between state highways 33 and 150 and have re-opened.

So far no structures have been burned and no civilian injuries have been reported, authorities said. Endi