Felicia fire evacuation orders lifted near Lake Piru, but challenging weather looms

Evacuation orders for the Lake Piru Recreation Area were downgraded to warnings Friday as more than 500 firefighters worked to contain the Felicia fire, authorities said.

The brush fire ignited near the southwestern bank of the lake around 1 p.m. Thursday, and fire crews were able to halt its forward movement later that day, said Andrew Dowd, a Ventura County Fire Department public information officer. The cause of the fire is currently unknown.

Firefighters reached 30% containment on the 348-acre blaze by noon Friday but still face difficult weather conditions, officials said.

“High temperatures and low relative humidity will continue to challenge firefighters as they work to increase containment and mop up hotspots around the fire perimeter,” the Ventura County Fire Department wrote in a post on X.

Although the blaze threatened several structures, including homes and a U.S. Forest Service fire station, no structure damage has been reported, fire officials said.

Road closures on Piru Canyon Road, north of the community of Piru to Lake Piru, remained in effect as of 5 p.m. Friday, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

On Thursday, the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office ordered an evacuation of the western side of the lake and closed Piru Canyon Road. About 15 people were evacuated from the lake’s recreational areas, including a campground and the nearby canyon.

A firefighting bulldozer works against advancing flames in the Ventura County blaze on Thursday afternoon.

(Eric Thayer / Associated Press)

Six boaters were unable to leave before roads closed, Dowd said, and sheltered at the marina parking lot north of the fire until park rangers were able to escort them out around 5 p.m.

Video released by the Ventura County Fire Department showed workers clearing brush while helicopters dropped water on the fire in the distance.